HHS - Republicans Present Bill Blocking Cannabis Legalization Without Congressional Approval | Benzinga
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R) and her colleague Senator Steve Daines (R), presented a bill to block cannabis legalization without congressional approval.
What happened: On Thursday Lummis introduced the Deferring Executive Authority (DEA) Act, which aims to give Congress final approval over the legalization of cannabis.
"Congress makes the laws in this country, not D.C. bureaucrats,” Lummis stated. "The American people through their elected representatives in the Senate and House should have the final say on such a momentous change as the legalization of marijuana. The Biden administration’s rush to reschedule marijuana without compelling scientific evidence appears to be political, not about what’s best for the American people.”
Why it matters: Several weeks ago a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services recommended DEA administrator Anne Milgram reclassify as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
The recommendation came after President Biden requested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and HHS review cannabis classification as a Schedule 1 substance.
HHS' recommendation was considered a significant move, possibly setting up the ...