AUSTIN, Texas – The Trump administration is reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a less dangerous drug, which could have some implications in Texas.
RELATED COVERAGE: Medical marijuana reclassified as less dangerous drug under new order
The backstory:
The announcement came today from acting attorney general Todd Blanche.
The order reclassifies medical marijuana from a category reserved for drugs like heroin to a category which includes medications like Tylenol with codeine.
Following a December executive order from President Donald Trump, the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration announced Thursday that certain marijuana products, including FDA-approved and state-regulated medical cannabis, will now be classified as Schedule III under federal law.
The DEA defines a Schedule I drug as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule III drugs, by contrast, are considered to have a moderate to low risk of dependence.
Blanche says the change will allow for more rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and effectiveness while expanding patient access and helping doctors make more informed decisions.
What they’re saying:
“We’ve already been third party lab testing our products, reviewing customers’ IDS, all of this stuff. So, it is really the only change that happens at the federal level. Is opening up that research, which is going to be crucial,” said Nicholas Mortillaro, owner of Botanic Bliss Cafe & Lounge in central Texas.
He says day-to-day operations won’t change, but the impact long-term could be significant.
Trump orders marijuana reclassification
President Trump signed an executive order to re-classify marijuana, easing restrictions on the drug. Some are excited about how the reclassification paves the way for more research, but others warn of its own set of challenges it could bring.
“This allows the US to do that research in a clinical setting, peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Without having to go through the extraordinary amount of red tape that exists for a schedule of one compound,” said Mortillaro.
He says operators in Texas’ Compassionate Use Program could see loosened restrictions on their products and a major tax break.
The other side:
“We don’t want to take away marijuana from anybody that needs it because there are people that need it and use it the right way. But there’s also, just like alcohol; we know it’s legal, there’s people that follow what they’re supposed to, and there’s plenty of people who get DUI’S. So, it’s just a part of the situation of unintended consequences whenever you have a substance that can impair you,” said Phil Dubois, chairman of National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association Government Affairs Committee.
But some worry the change could be cause for concern.
“Anytime that a drug is not schedule one or schedule two, or a drug is legalized, okay, like really going to be schedule three or legalized. It doesn’t really matter. Both do the same thing. You can no longer test that drug,” said Dubois.
The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association advocates for employers’ rights to have a drug-free workplace.
Dubois says workplace safety rules could be at risk, especially in transportation, and that the current safeguards in place have been in effect for almost 40 years.
“Pilots, we got school bus drivers, we got truck drivers, we’ve got transit drivers, we got subway drivers, we got pipeline workers, railroad engineers, people that work on the railroad tracks, all those people are tested. For marijuana, and if it goes through like they’re trying to, without a safety carve out, then there will be consequences, unintended consequences,” said Dubois.
What’s next:
The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association says it will be filing a lawsuit in the meantime.
The DEA has also launched an expedited process to consider moving all marijuana to a Schedule III drug with a new hearing set for June 29.
The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin’s Jenna King