Medical Cannabis Stakeholders Discuss Impact of Proposed Rescheduling

On July 22, 2024, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) held a press briefing covering next steps in the cannabis rescheduling process from a patient perspective. ASA describes itself as “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.” Their briefing, titled Healthcare Experts & Cannabis Stakeholders Clear the Smoke on Cannabis Scheduling, was hosted by ASA founder Steph Sherer and featured five guest speakers who shared their various perspectives on how medical cannabis has affected their lives and, subsequently, how rescheduling would affect cannabis for them. In the past 90 days, over 39,000 comments had been submitted to the public comment section on the proposed rulemaking from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As Sherer explained, “Americans for Safe Access wanted to make sure that as we are moving into the next phase of the scheduling process that we're hearing from a variety of voices that are impacted by scheduling.”

Watch a recording of the briefing here, and continue reading for a summary of the discussion.

Sherer provided an overview of the initiatives that led to the current scheduling process, noting the recently accepted medical use of cannabis by the Department of Health and Human Services. She explained the next steps—including possibilities of an administrative hearing, legal challenges, and how Congress could intervene—once the comment period closes. She also explained ASA’s proposal for the creation of a Schedule VI placement of cannabis and the development of an Office of Medical Cannabis to regulate medical cannabis nationally.

The first guest speaker Ellen Lenox Smith, co-director of Cannabis Advocacy for the US Pain Foundation, shared her journey with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome before and after medical cannabis, one of the only ways to treat her chronic pain, and why she advocates for safe access for all patients in the US. She noted the stigma against cannabis and the incongruity of being able to use medical cannabis in her home but not in the hospital or when traveling to certain states. “I would not be here at this age had it not been for the honor of using cannabis,” Lenox Smith stated. “We need to see that this becomes something that is equally accessed to all people in this country, and that these issues that are being brought up can be resolved by turning to Schedule Six…and we will see everybody having the same opportunity to consider using cannabis as a pain relief or for whatever medical issue that they have.”

Next, Leigh Vinocur, MD, MS, FACEP, explained the many issues that would remain unsolved even after cannabis rescheduling. “Rescheduling it to schedule three isn't going to make a difference,” she stated. “It's not going to require a prescription by doctors. [Patients] will still have to get it outside the federal laws. It won't be affordable. Insurance won't cover it. Interstate travel will still remain a problem, and then there's the issue of consistency, safety and quality.” Though this is a step forward, the journey is far from over, she stated, and supported ASA’s proposal for a comprehensive program for medical cannabis access for all patients in the US.

Michelle Wright, the third speaker, described the role of cannabis in treating her son’s autism after conventional methods failed to manage his self-injury and other severe behavioral health concerns. “Doctors were never trained beyond the dangers of cannabis, so we were told absolutely that we were harming our son and experimenting on him,” Wright explained. She obtained a Master’s degree in Pharmacy, specifically in Medical Cannabis Science, to learn more about the science behind the treatment she prepares for her son. “Rescheduling cannabis means it can now be researched, which is a big deal. That comes with education, for an acceptance from our medical community, so patients aren't on their own. But for our day to day lives, not much will change without comprehensive reform, even in a state where cannabis is legal. My son will struggle to access his medicine without me, because he doesn't take a drug that's available for prescription under the FDA.”

The fourth guest speaker was Brian Essenter RPh, MS. He described how rescheduling could affect the development of cannabis medications. “[Rescheduling] allows your pharmaceutical companies and any of the other big companies, especially here in the United States, to do the kind of intensive research that we really want to get us the information so we can all feel comfortable about drug interactions and what other types of effects it has and how cannabis actually works on these conditions,” he explained. He also noted the importance of educating medical professionals and for patients to be candid about their cannabis use, though rescheduling would not affect state medical programs and patients would still encounter barriers to accessing their medicine.

Finally, Shanetha Marable-Lewis, veteran and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Veterans Initiative 22, explained how cannabis can be a lifeline for veterans, especially in light of the thousands of opioid-related deaths and suicide epidemic in the veteran community. “Cannabis offers a safer alternative to many current PTSD treatments, however, Schedule One's status blocks critical research and prevents the VA [Veterans Affairs] from assisting veterans with access to cannabis therapy,” she stated. “And although the VA cannot withhold health services to veterans who use cannabis in legal states, the agency does not offer medical cannabis as a treatment or cover the cost for medical cannabis recommendations or reimburse the cost for cannabis products.” Marable-Lewis also explained how adult use programs have been a double-edged sword to medical programs.

Attendees were able to submit questions for a Q&A portion of the briefing. Topics included the comments submitted by the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association, and how challenges to cannabis research could be overcome.