Glass House Brands Issues Open Letter to Political Leaders Urging Complete Cannabis De-Scheduling
Americans are divided on so many issues. But one thing that the vast majority of both Democrats and Republicans agree on is that it is time to reform federal cannabis laws.
Glass House Brands Inc., has released an open letter to President Biden, Former President Trump, and Vice President Harris. The letter, dated July 29, 2024, calls for the complete de-scheduling of cannabis and clemency for those incarcerated in federal prison for nonviolent marijuana offenses.
Glass House Brands (CBOE CA: GLAS.A.U, GLAS.WT.U; OTCQX: GLASF, GHBWF) argues that rescheduling cannabis to Schedule 3 is insufficient and that full de-scheduling is necessary to address the issues created by the current classification.
The full text of the letter follows:
Dear President Biden, Former President Trump and Vice President Harris,
Our nation has spoken, and it wants federal cannabis laws to change. But, the people don't just want cannabis rescheduling, they want complete de-scheduling.
On July 22, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) comment period on the Health and Human Services (HHS) current science-backed recommendation to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 drug ended. Over 42,000 public comments were received by the DEA, more than for any other DEA proposal in history. The level of public engagement was unprecedented.
While the public comments are overwhelmingly in favor of the DEA proposal to remove cannabis from Schedule 1, it is also clear Americans view rescheduling alone as insufficient. Almost seventy percent of the public comments supported removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act completely.
This makes sense. As over 74% of Americans live in a state where marijuana is legal for either recreational or medical use, the American public now sees cannabis as another product like tobacco and alcohol, and not like an illicit, or even pharmaceutical drug.
Rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule 3, instead of outright de-scheduling will not solve the problems that have been created by the Schedule 1 classification, such as unnecessary incarcerations and the loss of qualified applicants in the workforce, nor will it provide relief for the millions of Americans whose right to use it is being curtailed by federal prohibition.
To date, progress in legalizing and regulating cannabis has been driven by the states and American citizens at the grassroots level. It is time for the federal government to follow the people's lead and stop villainizing a plant that people have been safely consuming for over 6,000 years. By de-scheduling instead of rescheduling, individual states will be in a better position to be able to decide what makes sense for their communities.
Moreover, President Biden, we ask that you honor your campaign promises to decriminalize marijuana, release cannabis prisoners from jail and expunge cannabis convictions from their records. We urge you to grant clemency to the approximately 3,000 individuals currently incarcerated in federal prison for nonviolent marijuana offenses, many of whom are serving life sentences. The continued incarceration of these individuals prolongs the legacy of the War on Drugs and imbrues our justice system. No one should be in prison for a plant. We have been a consistent advocate on this issue, including in early 2021 when we urged then President Trump to pardon Parker Coleman.
Americans are divided on so many issues. But one thing that the vast majority of both Democrats and Republicans agree on is that it is time to reform federal cannabis laws.
We believe that whichever presidential candidate takes on the mission of de-scheduling cannabis will be rewarded at the ballot box. As such, it is critical that the American public know where each of you stands on the federal legalization of cannabis.
Leadership is desperately needed on this issue. On behalf of Glass House Brands, we strongly urge all three of you to embrace de-scheduling cannabis. In this case, the bold choice is the right choice.
Sincerely,
Kyle Kazan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Glass House Brands
Graham Farrar, Director and President of Glass House Brands
This open letter from Glass House Brands underscores the growing pressure on federal lawmakers to align cannabis policies with public opinion and state-level regulations. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, such advocacy efforts could play a crucial role in shaping future legislation and market dynamics.
