A federal department wants more control over legal cannabis- but until it rescheduled or more, there hands are tied.
Legal marijuana has turned out to be surprisingly popular. It has been embraced by all ages for fun, to manage anxiety, to help sleep, for pain and more. Gen Z has started a trend of moving away from alcohol and toward the healthier cannabis. Boomers, guided by AARP, are embracing it for a variety of medical benefits and for enjoyment. But now a federal agency has come out to say the government needs to have more say in stregthen and products. The issue, until rescheduling or decriminalization, they don’t have the authority. So this is just more mainstream pressure for the federal government to accept cannabis as part of today.
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Both presidential candidates along with VP candidate Tim Walz have said they are for moving cannabis forward. But have made statements of support, but no real clear action. When asked should marijuana be legalized across the U.S. for recreational and medical use, he replied.
“Well, I think it’s an issue for the states on some of those, and that’s the way the states have done it,” Walz, the former Minnesota’s governor and Congressman said, dodging the question.
But with more people using, especial for medical, and a state patchwork of products, strengthand dosage, it is a bit messy. States have oversight, but not the same resources as the federal movement. Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration are for rescheduling and oversight. Now the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are adding their voice. They released a report about what needs to happen, but nothing can be done until the federal government has a big voice.
“We’d like the federal government to step up to provide some leadership in this area,” said Dr. Steven Teutsch of the University of Southern California, who chaired the committee behind the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report. The CDC and the National Institutes of Health sponsored the report. A CDC spokesperson said Thursday that the agency would study the recommendations and that more money would be needed to implement them.
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Aaron Smith of the National Cannabis Industry Association said states have protected public health by replacing criminal markets with regulated businesses “that are required to test products for contaminants, practice truth in labeling, and most importantly, keep cannabis products out of the hands of minors.” Making cannabis legal nationally would improve public health through federal regulation, Smith said.
