Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and seven other Republican state attorneys general issued a rare rebuke of Donald Trump over the president’s executive order to accelerate the reclassification of marijuana.
The White House wants to make it a Schedule 3 drug, on the same level as ketamine and anabolic steroids. Marijuana would still be a controlled substance, but with recognized medical benefits.
A statement issued by Rokita as well as attorneys general from Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming said “the science surrounding marijuana properly establishes it as a Schedule I drug.” That’s a class reserved for substances which cannot be used safely and have high potential for abuse.
“We have seen firsthand the harm the drug has caused in our communities,” the letter said.
But experts say rescheduling marijuana won’t make it more accessible as a recreational drug.
Ken Mackie is a professor of neuroscience at Indiana University and a cannabis expert. He says research shows marijuana is an effective treatment for chronic pain and is less addictive than tobacco.
“There's no way anyone with any logic would consider cannabis to be appropriate as a Schedule I drug, because Schedule I is no medicinal benefit, which cannabis does have,” Mackie said.
Reclassifying marijuana will also make it much easier for scientists to study.
“It's not saying that it's harmless,” Mackie said. “It’s putting a more realistic measure of the risk.”
Trump's order does not immediately reschedule marijuana but directs the U.S. Attorney general to expedite that process.
Rokita’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
