News Briefing Next Steps – Americans for Safe Access

For immediate release: Media Briefing on the Next Steps of the Rescheduling Process

July 22, 2024, 1 pm ET

Zoom Conference: Please go to the bottom of this page for the Zoom sign-in link.

Healthcare Experts & Cannabis Stakeholders Clear the Smoke on Cannabis Scheduling: Join a Physician, Pharmacist, Researcher, Caregiver, Veteran, Patients, and Patient Advocates as They Bring the Rescheduling Debate to Life

Washington, DC – Public comment closes today on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposed rule to move cannabis (marijuana) from Schedule I to Schedule III. This transition shifts the decision-making to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marking one of the final stages in the scheduling process initiated on October 6, 2022, by a White House statement directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the AttorneyGeneral (AG) to “review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.”

The recommendation from HHS and the DOJ to move cannabis to a Schedule III classification, based on the determination that cannabis has“accepted medical use for treatment in the United States,” has heightened tensions about the future of federal cannabis policy, as evidenced by the over30,0000 comments posted to the federal registry and extensive media coverage. The DEA now has the option to decide on the scheduling classification based on public comments or to hold an administrative hearing, as requested by several parties, before making their decision. The decision is likely to be followed by lawsuits from those who feel adversely affected.

“No matter the outcome, the current rescheduling process has highlighted the inadequacies of federal policies in addressing cannabis’ role as medicine in the United States. Leadership is needed from Congress to bridge the gap between federal law and the experiences of more than 6 million registered medical cannabis patients, researchers, and advocates,” said Steph Sherer, Founder & President, Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

ASA is hosting this briefing to bring together the diverse voices impacted by cannabis scheduling and the disparities between state and federal laws. Attendees will learn about the next steps in the rescheduling process and gain perspectives from healthcare experts.

Featured Speakers:

Steph Sherer, Founder & President of Americans for Safe Access Steph Sherer is the foremost international leader and expert on medical cannabis patient advocacy. Her direct experiences with the medical benefits of cannabis and political organizing led Sherer to form ASA in 2002. Sherer has devoted her career to disrupting policies that perpetuate health and well-being inequalities and investing in innovative solutions to close the divide between wellness and medicine.

Dr.Leigh Vinocur, MD MS FACEP, is a board-certified emergency physician and recognized television medical expert. Dr. Vinocur was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the state’s newly formed Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council in 2023. 

Michelle Wright has worked in the healthcare industry for over 25 years and is the mother/caregiver of an adult son with profound autism.  Michelle returned to the University of Maryland to obtain a Master’s degree in Pharmacy – specifically in Medical Cannabis Science to better help her son who was able to overcome his spiraling self-injury, aggression, and psychosis with medical cannabis after conventional medications had failed. She continues to work in traditional healthcare and now advocates not only for those with profound autism and severe behavioral health concerns, but also for federal legislation to support research in and access to the medicine that has helped her son for the past 5 years.   

Brian Essenter RPh, MS, Diplomate of Medical Cannabinoid Science® is a graduate of Northeastern University, a Pharmacist, and recently completed his Master of Integrative and Functional Medicine. Brian has worked in the Connecticut Medical Marijuana Program since 2015.

Ellen Lenox Smith is the co-director of Cannabis Advocacy for the US Pain Foundation and a medical cannabis patient living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Shanetha Marable-Lewis is the Executive Director of Veterans Initiative 22, a non-profit organization whose mission is veteran suicide prevention with a focus on affordable access to medical cannabis for the veteran community. Shanetha is a decorated Army combat veteran who proudly served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Americans for Safe Access is the largest national organization of medical cannabis, wellness, and healthcare stakeholders addressing knowledge, policy, and regulatory gaps to ensure access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, with over 150,000 supporters in all 50 states.

Watch the press briefing on ASA’s YouTube page: