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The Potential Rescheduling of Cannabis

At Cornerstone Wellness cannabis dispensary, we pride ourselves on consumer empowerment and cannabis education. We always want to be fully informed in every aspect of the marijuana industry, and we aim to provide our customers with the same thorough education so that they can better understand the products they’re consuming and the purchasing experience they receive. In this blog, we discuss the potential rescheduling of cannabis and what ramifications that would have on all aspects of the cannabis industry.

What does rescheduling cannabis mean?

Currently, although marijuana is legal in California and many other states, it is federally classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I is the most tightly restricted category of controlled substances, reserved for drugs that have “no currently accepted medical use” and have “a high potential for abuse”. As such, there has been an increasing movement to have marijuana rescheduled. Marijuana has been proven to have a wide range of medical uses and an extraordinarily low rate of abuse, making it better suited for Schedule III classification. Heroin, LSD, and ecstasy are just a few of the more common substances also classified as Schedule I substances. Schedule II substances, the less restrictive category, includes illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Although the DEA has considered rescheduling cannabis on several occasions, it remains on the Schedule I list as of publishing. 

What are the cultural effects of rescheduling?

Although its medical benefits are widely accepted and its rate of addiction and abuse has proven to be low, there is still a cultural taboo surrounding the consumption of marijuana products. By recategorizing marijuana as a Schedule II or Schedule III drug, this would help shift cultural biases and open doors for further legalization and research. For example, universities are unlikely to conduct studies surrounding the use of marijuana due to its federal classification as a Schedule I drug. However, if it was rescheduled, institutions would feel more comfortable conducting scientific research studies without fear of financial or political ramifications. It would also help make progress toward the expungement of marijuana-related convictions, a systemic cultural issue which disproportionately targets ethnic minorities.

What are the scientific & medical effects of rescheduling?

As stated before, conservative and low-risk institutions like universities would be more comfortable conducting studies around marijuana consumption if the drug was named a Schedule II or lower controlled substance. As of today, there are relatively few conclusive scientific studies surrounding different aspects of marijuana use since it is still federally illegal and funding is therefore scarce. If marijuana was reclassified, this would open up the opportunity for more extensive scientific and medical research. This ultimately creates a safer consumption experience for cannabis users, and it may even allow marijuana to be used in more traditional medical settings by those suffering from various ailments.

The team at Cornerstone cannabis dispensary is passionate about safe access to high-quality cannabis products, which is why we work one-on-one with customers to explain everything they need to know about our products. We also have a Research & Education page where we provide reliable information about cannabis and its effects on the mind and body. If you’d like to learn more about marijuana products, give us a call at (323) 259-8933. We’re always happy to help and educate.