{"id":5176,"date":"2022-03-31T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CAIiEIJJj4gE64ELm9hLDTQeOSsqFwgEKg8IACoHCAowlOzSATCaiDUwo9dy"},"modified":"2022-03-31T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T16:00:00","slug":"federal-marijuana-legalization-is-stopped-in-its-tracks-vox-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=5176","title":{"rendered":"Federal marijuana legalization is stopped in its tracks – Vox.com"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span> <\/span> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

It has been nearly a decade since the first time a majority of Americans supported legalizing cannabis. Two years ago, that number reached a record high, according to Gallup, with 68 percent supporting marijuana legalization \u2014 a number that has held steady<\/a> since. That same year, as the coronavirus pandemic engulfed the country in March 2020, medical marijuana businesses were declared essential, allowing them to remain open along with pharmacies and grocery stores. It was a triumph for legalization advocates. As the New York Times reported<\/a>, it was \u201cofficial recognition that for some Americans, cannabis is as necessary as milk and bread.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in the US; sales of adult-use and medical marijuana products hit $25 billion in 2021<\/a> and, by one Wall Street estimate<\/a>, could reach $100 billion by 2030. Eighteen states have legalized cannabis for adult use, and another 19 currently have at least a comprehensive medical marijuana program. As of 2020, one in three Americans lived in a state with access to legal marijuana, according to<\/a> Politico, and that number is quickly growing as the East Coast catches up with the West \u2014 last year, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia all passed adult-use cannabis laws, joining Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Rhode Island lawmakers are expected to approve<\/a> a legalization bill this month. <\/p>\n

However, under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana remains classified<\/a> as a Schedule 1 illegal drug with no medical uses, on par with heroin and LSD. The Drug Enforcement Agency strictly limits<\/a> marijuana cultivation for research, frustrating scientists who are unable to investigate its medical benefits and risks under current regulations.<\/p>\n

Rescheduling marijuana for research was an oft-repeated promise<\/a> of President Joe Biden\u2019s campaign, along with a pledge to decriminalize the use of cannabis and grant clemency to people with federal marijuana convictions. <\/p>\n

But after more than one year in office, Biden\u2019s promises remain unfulfilled<\/a> \u2014 and a January YouGov poll<\/a> of 1,500 people showed that more than half of Americans believe that the Biden administration has made little to no progress advancing marijuana reform. The administration even screened<\/a> staffers for marijuana use last year, dismissing several incoming candidates because they revealed they\u2019d used cannabis during background checks for positions in the Biden White House. Just this month, employee conduct guidelines were updated to potentially deny security clearance<\/a> to people who have invested in cannabis companies. All in all, the Biden administration seems to be pretty anti-weed.<\/p>\n

Critics of legal marijuana cite the potential for confusion<\/a> among law enforcement agencies keeping up with evolving regulations, concern<\/a> about minors gaining access to the drug, a potential drop<\/a> in property values, and more for maintaining marijuana\u2019s status as an illicit drug. (Though it looks like legal cannabis can actually increase<\/a> property values.)<\/p>\n

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