Trump's Former AG Bill Barr Backs Prohibitionist Group Urging DEA To Delay Marijuana Rescheduling

An active cannabis prohibitionist group represented by the law firm founded by Donald Trump‘s Attorney General Bill Barr is urging the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to extend the public comment period for President Joe Biden's recent cannabis rescheduling proposal.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) submitted a request to the DEA to add an additional 30 days to the 60-day public comment period, which got underway in late May month, citing the need for more time to gather feedback, first reported Marijuana Moment's Kyle Jaeger.

The recent request was filed on SAM's behalf by the Torridon Law PLLC, the law firm established by Barr. During his tenure as attorney general under the Trump administration, Barr faced criticism for initiating controversial investigations into cannabis industry mergers, noted Jaeger. Barr also served in the CIA during the Reagan White House.

Meanwhile, SAM's comment to the DEA claimed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III would be "the most significant relaxation of restrictions on a psychoactive substance in the history" of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

SAM noted, per the outlet, that the proposal represents a major shift from nearly a dozen previous agency decisions that rejected reclassifying marijuana from the restrictive Schedule I. The group insists that a sweeping change of this magnitude warrants more than a 60-day comment period to allow stakeholders to collect the necessary data for a comprehensive response.

And Then They Went There: Adolescent cognitive development — the group argued that sufficient data pertaining to this area was overlooked by the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) when it recommended, after a nearly year-long review, that cannabis should be rescheduled based on its "accepted medical benefits."

SAM raised legal concerns about that HHS decision, pointing out that the proposal relies partly on a "novel test" for determining a substance's accepted medical use, devised by the HHS and supported by a Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion.

The group also argued that additional time is needed to consider the legal ramifications, especially regarding international treaties involving the U.S.

There is no doubt that this issue will be among the hottest topics at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Join us to get more insight into what cannabis rescheduling and what it means for the future of the industry. Hear directly from top executives, investors, advocates and policymakers. Get your tickets now before prices go up by following this link.

Now Read: Cresco Labs Co-Founder Comments On $25M First Tranche Financing Of Psychedelics-Focused REIT

Photo by Office of Public Affairs on Wikimedia Commons