The Cynical Politics of Marijuana - Federal government considers loosening restrictions on pot but how will it impact Wyoming?

by Wyoming Liberty Group

Leave it to the feds to muck things up.

Just when lawmakers in Wyoming took steps to curb the flow of marijuana in our state, the federal government appears poised to loosen restrictions on the illegal, mind-altering drug.

Why?

Well, part of the reason is basic politics, plain and cynical. President Joe Biden, whose poll numbers are faltering as he seeks reelection, is courting younger voters, and one way to do that apparently is to act more favorably toward marijuana.

But shouldn't the question of marijuana be about our health, not about politics?

Another important question: What would the federal move to ease up on marijuana restrictions mean for Wyoming?

The short answer: Not good.

But first, let's give credit where credit is due. Recently, the Wyoming Senate wisely rejected an ill-conceived bill that would have complicated what would have constituted misdemeanor possession of marijuana. And Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law a bill that seeks to stop the production and sale of hemp products that are used to create new forms of the mind-altering drug.

The federal government, however, has undermined efforts in Wyoming and elsewhere to curb the rise of marijuana, now a $30-plus billion industry in the United States.

Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. government pulled back on the enforcement of laws involving marijuana, which is federally illegal. Then, in 2018, the U.S. Congress created a loophole in the Farm Bill when it allowed the growth and sale of hemp, a class of the cannabis plant with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol—THC—the mind-altering substance.

Now, the federal government is contemplating removing marijuana from its most restrictive category of drugs, where it has stood alongside other dangerous drugs, such as heroin and LSD, for over half a century.

In his recent State of the Union address, President Biden reminded voters about his efforts to soften restrictions on marijuana—a move that was applauded by pro-pot forces who noted it was the first time in history that a president had used the occasion to speak favorably about marijuana.

"[T]he cannabis industry was all smiles Thursday night after Biden offered a brief mention of the DEA's ongoing review of the president's October 2022 directive to reclassify cannabis under federal law," crowed one pro-pot outlet.

It was, after all, the White House that last year had urged the Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule 3 drug.

According to the DEA—the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency—Schedule I substances are "defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

By contrast, the DEA defines Schedule III substances as "drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence." An example of such a lower-level drug is Tylenol with codeine.

There are many problems with the idea of reclassifying marijuana as a less harmful drug that can be viewed as medicine. For one, the idea that marijuana is medicine is an illusion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states clearly that it "has not approved a marketing application for cannabis for the treatment of any disease or condition."

What's more, today's marijuana has been cultivated to be far more potent than it had been decades earlier during the counterculture movement. The result is that marijuana is practically the opposite of medicine—in other words, it is a substance that can cause a host of serious health problems, such as respiratory illnesses, not to mention hallucinations, nausea and repeated vomiting.

So, what would it mean if the federal government reclassifies marijuana as a Schedule III drug?

For one, doctors would be able to prescribe marijuana to patients. Schedule III substances "have an accepted medical use and may lawfully be dispensed by prescription, while Substances in Schedule I cannot," according to the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan agency for federal lawmakers.

But beyond that, this is about money. If marijuana becomes a Schedule III drug, it could potentially give the marijuana industry access to banking services, which it has vigorously sought for years. That alone would encourage the growth of the marijuana industry.

What's more, if marijuana is rescheduled, it would give pot dealers significant tax relief. "[M]oving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III would allow marijuana businesses to deduct business expenses on federal tax filings," according to the Congressional Research Service. This, too, would only help hasten the rise of marijuana.

But there is perhaps a more damaging effect if the federal government loosens restrictions on marijuana. It would, as one observer indicated, make marijuana "a little less illegal." In other words, it would leave the false impression that pot is not so bad for you.

Is this what we want for our state?

Stay tuned. More information to come from your friends at Wyoming Liberty Group.