WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice announced that it will reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug.
“Moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III is a step in the right direction, and I’m deeply grateful for it. The long-term solution to righting the injustices of our federal marijuana laws is for Congress to act. We have long known that federal law should not treat marijuana the same way it does meth and heroin, but Congress has failed to correct this mistake despite the overwhelming evidence of marijuana’s benefits.
“I thank President Biden for his leadership in directing the Department of Justice to review cannabis scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act and HHS and DOJ for conducting the scientific review that officially aligns the federal government with a majority of our states in agreeing that cannabis has medical benefits. I urge the administration to quickly finalize the reclassification and allow legal cannabis businesses in New Jersey and around the country to use the same tax deductions enjoyed by other legal businesses.
“However, we still have a long way to go. Thousands of people remain in prisons around the country for marijuana-related crimes. They continue to bear the devastating consequences that come with a criminal history. Legal marijuana businesses, especially those in communities hardest hit by the War on Drugs, still have to navigate a convoluted patchwork of state laws and regulatory schemes. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially those who represent constituents benefiting from medical or adult-use programs, will join me to pass federal legislation, like the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, legalize cannabis for adult-use and create a comprehensive taxation and regulatory scheme.”