HHS - GOP Sen. John Cornyn Takes Health Secretary To Task Over Cannabis Rescheduling: Xavier Becerra Holds His Own | Benzinga
In the hallowed chambers of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, a testy exchange took place between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. The bone of contention was the proposed rescheduling of marijuana under federal law.
Cornyn grilled Becerra on the HSS's August 2023 recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance, reported Marijuana Moment.
Cornyn seemed to take issue with the thoroughness of the scientific scrutiny and research into cannabis, which was directed by President Joe Biden and undertaken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cornyn hinted at a departure from previous approaches to scheduling drugs.
In response, Becerra pointed to a comprehensive 252-page analysis asserting that cannabis "has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," and the "potential for abuse less ...