AL Political Reporter: “On Monday, a coalition of eleven state attorneys general, including Alabama AG Steve Marshall, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland opposing the federal rescheduling of marijuana.
In May, the Department of Justice officially began the process of rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I drug (the most restrictive category) to Schedule III. If successful, this attempt would not actually legalize marijuana but it would reduce the penalties for illicit use.
Despite the official position of the federal government being that there is “no currently accepted medical use [for marijuana] and a high potential for abuse,” many states have already legalized the drug. Recreational use is legal in twenty-four states, plus DC, and medicinal use is legal in thirteen more.
President Biden has also pardoned and given clemency to thousands of people convicted of using and possessing marijuana during his presidency thus far.”