Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, urged the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act in the interest of public health and safety.
“Illinois is one of several states that have established robust regulatory frameworks for legal cannabis sales,” Raoul said. “State-regulated cannabis industries protect consumers from the dangers of unregulated products and the illicit market. Rescheduling cannabis will remove obstacles for legitimate businesses and allow them to better collaborate with law enforcement and regulators.”
In their letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Raoul and the coalition of attorneys general explain that rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III will allow the state-regulated cannabis industry to continue to set the standard for legal products. These businesses would be able to take ordinary tax deductions to expand their investments and focus on public health and safety in collaboration with law enforcement efforts. This policy change would also increase the ability to research cannabis to determine the physical and mental impacts of cannabis use, particularly among youth.
Joining Raoul in submitting the letter are the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Rhode Island.
