CatholicVote on Dec. 16 launched a national petition urging President Donald Trump to halt any effort to reclassify marijuana, as his administration weighs loosening federal restrictions on the drug.
“Rescheduling cannabis now, before FDA approval, before long-term safety studies, before we understand the full public-health consequences, would repeat the catastrophic mistake America made with tobacco,” CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said in a statement announcing the petition. “We cannot afford another generation paying the price.”
The petition argues, “Anything that waters down the grim, addictive nature of this gateway drug is dangerous.” CatholicVote points to outcomes in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, including higher addiction rates, increased emergency room visits, mental health harms, impaired driving, and broader social costs.
CatholicVote’s petition encourages supporters to email Trump through a link on the petition page using a prewritten message.
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I is the most restrictive drug classification. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defines Schedule I substances as having “no currently accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse.” Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule I substance.
Schedule III — which the White House is reportedly considering — is far less restrictive. The DEA defines Schedule III drugs as having a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” with examples of other drugs including ketamine, testosterone, and Tylenol with codeine.
Trump told reporters Dec. 15 that he is looking “very strongly” at the reclassification because “it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify, so we are looking at that very strongly.”
A move from Schedule I to Schedule III would not legalize marijuana nationwide, but it would represent one of the most significant shifts to federal marijuana policy in decades, reducing oversight and easing criminal penalties.
“Rescheduling cannabis would send a clear signal that the federal government believes marijuana is medically beneficial and fundamentally safe,” Reinhardt said. “The evidence shows the opposite.”
CatholicVote’s petition urging Trump to halt marijuana’s rescheduling is available here.
>> CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt: Why we firmly oppose reclassifying marijuana <<