Cannabis reform is overdue. The annual total addressable market for United States cannabis is $100,000,000,000. Thats One Hundred Billion dollars.
A majority of citizens have access to “recreational” and regulated cannabis via the States. A super majority of citizens have access to “medicinal” cannabis via the States. However, our Federal Government continues to hold cannabis down, keeping it a Schedule 1 drug.
Because it remains a Schedule 1 drug, cannabis employers cannot take basic tax deductions for payroll, etc. Cannabis employees cannot use their income to qualify for bank loans or federally backed mortgages. Cannabis employers cannot provide insurance for their employees because of the tax burden, etc.
This is a farce. Cannabis is not a Schedule 1 drug. Cannabis crystalizes the problems with our Fed. People are losing faith in our government for a reason – it is dishonest, if not corrupt.
Perhaps the most honest policy change that this administration can make is to give the people access to a regulated cannabis market. Capitalize Cannabis. Do the right thing for the American people. Open a new industry, get people off opiates, open minds, regain trust.
I agree that cannabis reform is overdue, and there are strong arguments for rescheduling it and ending the federal prohibition that limits access to banking, tax deductions, and other basic business services. Classifying cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug alongside substances like heroin is not scientifically supported and has created serious financial and legal complications for legitimate businesses and their employees. No one should be serving jail time for non-violent cannabis possession in a country where it is now legal in some form in the majority of states.
However, while legalization has its benefits, there are valid concerns that should be addressed before federal reforms are made. First, states have been the “laboratories of democracy” in experimenting with cannabis policy. States like Colorado, Washington, and California have shown that legalization can work, but they’ve also exposed some unintended consequences. Legalization has been linked to a rise in impaired driving incidents and increased emergency room visits due to accidental ingestion, particularly by children. Additionally, some states have seen spikes in black-market activity as illicit growers and dealers attempt to undercut regulated prices. These issues highlight that a one-size-fits-all federal mandate could lead to further complications if not carefully implemented.
Leaving cannabis regulation up to the states allows each region to tailor policies that best fit their unique circumstances and communities. For instance, rural states may have different public health priorities compared to densely populated urban areas, and giving states autonomy allows for more nuanced approaches. A state-by-state approach also provides the flexibility to adjust policies as needed without imposing a blanket federal standard that could be difficult to change.
Instead of full federal legalization, a reasonable compromise could be rescheduling cannabis to a lower category, such as Schedule III or IV, which would ease financial burdens, allow for medical research, and end many of the punitive measures faced by businesses and users. This would create a pathway for states to regulate cannabis without the heavy-handed federal interference that complicates operations today.
In short, cannabis reform is needed, but it should focus on rescheduling, decriminalization, and expanding research rather than immediate federal legalization. This approach would balance the need for change while respecting states’ rights to decide what’s best for their own residents.
I agree with much of this. The only thing I would counter with is alcohol. If Alcohol is off schedule, then cannabis has no business being on schedule.
But yes, a regulated market is preferential to full legalization and/or what we have now. We’ve got to allow the companies to compete against the black market. The current Fed status/tax structure does not allow for that. It forces ppl back to the cartels/illegal growers. Capture the market…