Why Deschedule Hemp/Reschedule Cannabis?

The federal Controlled Substances Act bans any drug as Schedule I that:

1. Has high potential for abuse.
2. Has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
3. Lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Hemp and other forms of cannabis are currently classified as banned Schedule 1 substances, but neither warrant such high restriction. Therapeutic hemp (high CBD/low THC) does not even meet the definition of a controlled substance because it is safe, has no potential for abuse, and medical use of these strains is growing in the United States. While the rest of cannabis meets the legal definition of a controlled substance in general because of high potential for abuse by some people, it is safe and has accepted medical use, so it should not be Schedule 1 either. Therefore, the Parents Coalition advocates the removal of therapeutic hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (descheduling) and rescheduling other cannabis to a medically accessible place on the schedule, with built in protections for state medical cannabis laws.

We endorse legislating these separately so therapeutic hemp can become available as a nutritional supplement shippable across state lines without a doctor's order. Without separate bills high CBD strains would remain controlled substances, a restriction their plant genetics do not warrant by federal definition. For a list of Parents Coalition endorsed medical cannabis bills, and those under our consideration, visit the Legislation tab on our website.