On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department moved to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana, moving it from a Schedule One drug like heroin to Schedule Three.
In Vermont, dispensaries and the state’s Cannabis Control Board say this opens up research into its safety and efficacy.
“This is a step in the right direction,” said Magic Mann Cannabis owner and CEO Meredith Mann.
The Cannabis Control Board says new and comprehensive research is important for doctors and their patients.
“That research is so important for understanding public health, understanding any potential medical uses, clinical care and then how to regulate it,” said one of the board’s commissioners, Julie Hulburd. “We need that data to regulate properly, so for us that’s really important.”
There are concerns that the order will face legal challenges, leaving the process in limbo.
“We’re not 100% sure yet, watching how this unfolds, because it sounds like a lot of processes were skipped,” Tito Bern, co-founder of the Bern Gallery, said. “I’m not sure how it’s going to work legally when there are legal challenges to this, inevitably starting to come out.”
If the change pans out, Hulburd noted it opens up tax deductions for dispensaries.
“This will allow for medical businesses to use the tax deductions that other businesses are allowed to use and they’re not able to do that now,” she said. “For a market that is in Vermont, all our businesses are small businesses; the ability to access these tax deductions will be huge.”
According to the DOJ, this reclassification recognizes regulations put in place by states and the need for a common-sense approach to medical marijuana use
In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said increased research means better patient care and more reliable information for doctors.
At Magic Mann, they’re not changing how they operate. Mann said she is grateful to see medical marijuana acknowledged at the federal level and hopes this is just the start of legalizing cannabis nationwide.
“We need a plan to reschedule that benefits all businesses and all medical patients, and do the due diligence and research. I just don’t want to see us rush into anything and do it the wrong way,” she said.
The order also creates an expedited administrative hearing process to consider the broader rescheduling of marijuana. It starts in June.
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