DEA - Rep. Blumenauer Grills Fed Health Agency For Clarity On Cannabis Rescheduling As Debate Heats Up | Benzinga
During a House Ways & Means Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) sought clarification from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding its request to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on cannabis scheduling, a topic highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, which revealed increasing tension between the White House and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over marijuana rescheduling.
The WSJ reported that certain DEA officials are resisting the change on the basis that cannabis’ medicinal benefits remain unproven.
Blumenauer’s inquiry comes as part of an effort to address what he describes as the “failed and discriminatory” federal stance on marijuana, which he said is categorized more on historical stigma than scientific evidence. He emphasized the need for change, branding the current administration’s inertia on the issue as “political malpractice.”
In a written question for the record (QFR), Blumenauer asked the HHS to detail the nature of its outreach to the DOJ’s Office of Legal ...