The American Council of Cannabis Medicine (ACCM) supports the Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance.

The ACCM said on Thursday that it has begun the DEA rescheduling application for cannabis, a step required in order to make changes to the Controlled Substances Act.

The proposed rescheduling would change the current federal status of cannabis, which currently views it as a drug without an accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

"ACCM's Advocacy Committee, and most of the medical cannabis community, have long been advocating for this change to normalize this plant medicine," said Narith Panh, co-chair of the ACCM Leadership Council and Advocacy Committee. "What we do know is that it has already changed countless lives. As a society, we need to demand complete recognized and proven studies that confirm its efficacy." Panh is the CGO of Dragonfly Wellness.

Mark Block, ACCM’s president said they’ve been fighting for the cause since 2016.

"Despite state-level benefits, federal classification has been a barrier,” Block said. “Recognizing our responsibility as the leading voice for medical cannabis, we initiated the DEA cannabis rescheduling application process and anticipate its finalization by October."

The ACCM is accepting input on its DEA application from members of Congress and invites industry stakeholders to share their insights until Oct. 30th.

Marijuana rescheduling will undoubtedly be one of the hot topics at the upcoming  Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago Sept 27-28.

Get your tickets today before prices go up and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment, politics, culture and branding.

Photo: Courtesy of David Gabrić on Unsplash