WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis announced Thursday that she had cosponsored the “Deferring Executive Authority Act” to give Congress final approval over the legalization of marijuana.
“Congress makes the laws in this country, not D.C. bureaucrats,” Lummis said in a statement. “The American people through their elected representatives in the Senate and House should have the final say on such a momentous change as the legalization of marijuana. The Biden administration’s rush to reschedule marijuana without compelling scientific evidence appears to be political, not about what’s best for the American people.”
When Lummis says “reschedule,” she’s referring to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) drug classification system, which sorts substances on a scale from Schedule I to Schedule V. Currently, marijuana is listed under Schedule I, which the DEA defines as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” This is where heroin and LSD currently fall.
President Biden initiated research into marijuana’s scheduling last year, and the Department of Health and Human Services reportedly made a recommendation to move marijuana under Schedule III at the end of August. Schedule III substances are “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” including ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone, per the DEA. Schedule II includes cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and more.
Montana Senator Steve Daines cosponsored the bill.
“While I disagreed with marijuana being legalized in Montana, the people spoke at the ballot box and I respect that decision,” Daines said in a statement. “However, I am firmly opposed to legalization or descheduling at the federal level without Congressional input.”
