STATEMENT FROM ONE CHANCE TO GROW UP NATIONAL POLICY DIRECTOR DIANE CARLSON ON FEDERAL RECLASSIFICATION OF MARIJUANA
“One Chance to Grow Up is disappointed by the federal decision to reclassify marijuana to a lower schedule, Schedule III, at a time when the products on the market are more potent and more harmful. This move places tax breaks for the commercial marijuana industry ahead of public health and ignores growing scientific evidence about risks to youth.
Across the country, high-potency marijuana products are proliferating, even as research continues to demonstrate harm to the developing brain. Reclassifying marijuana at any potency or amount wrongly suggests that it carries a lower risk of misuse and has accepted medical value, claims the science debunks.
By lowering marijuana’s federal classification, the government sends a dangerous signal to young people that today’s marijuana is safe. In reality, today’s products are riskier than ever, and the long-term consequences of broader access remain highly problematic. These industry benefits are being granted without first establishing potency caps, serving-size limits, or youth protections.
We urge leaders at every level of government to take responsibility for protecting children. Federal scheduling does not eliminate the need for stronger product safeguards and safety measures. Policymakers must strengthen regulations, limit youth exposure, and fully consider the consequences of increasingly potent marijuana products. Protecting America’s kids must come first.”