Cannabis Rescheduling Comments: What Did Justice, Law Enforcement, Labor, and Religious Groups Say?

Monday marked the end of the public comment period for the Biden Administration’s proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA. 

We’re sifting through the pile of more than 40,000 comments to identify the major — or, in some cases, surprising — entities that submitted comments. 

This batch focuses on justice, law enforcement, labor, and religious entities. You can also find comments from transport, safety, and alcohol entities and medical and research entities. You’ll notice that these are all non-cannabis entities. Tomorrow, we’ll have cannabis regulators, advocacy groups, companies, etc.

Remember: there was another deadline, back in June, to request a hearing, as Cannabis Wire reported at the time. Catch up on our coverage of who submitted those requests here.

 • Center for American Progress (support for full descheduling)

 • Federal Public & Community Defenders (support for full descheduling)

 • New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) (support)

 • The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (support for full descheduling)

 • The Southern Poverty Law Center (support for full descheduling)

 • Vera Institute of Justice (support for full descheduling)

 • International Association of Chiefs of Police (opposed)

“This proposed change represents a significant shift in federal drug policy with significant implications for public safety, public health and the ability of police agencies to protect the public.” 

 • National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (opposed)

Similar view as IACP

• National Sheriffs’ Association (oppose)

“At most, DEA may reschedule marijuana to II, not III.” 

 • United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (support for full descheduling)

• Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (oppose)