Statement from One Chance National Policy Director Diane Carlson:
“One Chance to Grow up opposes any federal effort to reclassify today’s marijuana to a lower schedule, such as Schedule III.. Such a move would endanger youth, misrepresent current science, and primarily serve the interests of the commercial marijuana industry without prioritizing public health.
“Rescheduling would send the wrong message at the wrong time. High-potency marijuana products continue to expand across legalized markets, and evidence of their risks to the developing brain continues to grow. A blanket classification of marijuana at any potency and any amount as a Schedule III substance implies a lower potential for misuse and accepted medical uses that the science still doesn’t support, according to new research.
“Our concern is simple. As a Schedule III drug, it would wrongly signal to young people that it’s safe, even though today’s high-potency products pose far greater risks. This action is about tax benefits for the industry. The country is not ready to see marijuana reclassified nationally when we still haven’t grappled with and worked out the ramifications of what happens when this drug becomes more widely available and increasingly more potent.
“We urge federal, state, and local leaders to consider the widespread consequences of today’s marijuana and its new and different ultra potent products regardless of federal action. We must all keep working to create a strong regulatory environment to protect America’s kids at every level of government.”
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