Legalization of marijuana. These are some of the responses from that poll. It was one in 10 of adult saying marijuana should not be legal at all. 59 of those asked saying it should be legalized for medical and Recreational Use. 30 saying that when it comes to legalization only for medical use, 10 saying it should not be legal. It breaks it down by age, and overall 59 of adults saying that it should be legalized for medical and Recreational Use. 72 of those 18 to 29 agreeing with that. 54 from ages 50 to 64. Then over 65 years old it is 46 expressing that type of sentiment. Then looking at Public Opinion over the years, for the call of legalization acrosstheboard, a steady increase since the late 1990s up to the current he was in 2019 that 67 of those, saying legalization should happen over on the recreational and medical use. That is some of pews. Gallup did a similar type of pole in november of last year. They ask a question, do you think marijuana should be legal or not . It was at that time last year, both saying yes it should be legalized, 68 of those expressing that type of sentiment. Then breaking it down from various subgroups, saying it should be legal, both expressing no religious preference it starts off with 89 . Those defined as liberals, 84 . Ages 18 to 29, 79 said it should be legalized. Those classified under seldom or never attend the church, 78 . It goes on from there. We will show you more as time goes on. Again, if you want to tell us your thoughts this morning on the legalization and if she and if it should be done acrosstheboard when it comes to marijuana, notice no. 202 7488000 if you support that move. 202 7488001 if you oppose it. If you are on the line, stay on it. If you are calling in, continue to do so. We will take a few minutes to talk about this news coming from the administration about this possible reclassification. It covers the marijuana and cannabis industry. Natalie for take, good morning. Guest good morning. Host tell us about this recent move. Tell us why it happened. Guest the Biden Administration, the department of health and human services, issued a letter that outlines the recommendation for the schedule that cannabis should be on. Cannabis is currently a schedule one drug, which means it is in the same category as heroin. It has been there since 1970 when the bill was signed into law by president nixon. Obviously americos relationship to has changed dramatically. We now have half of the country lives in a state where cannabis is legal for Recreational Use. The vast majority of americans live in a state where it is legal for medical use. Last october, right before the midterm election, President Biden issued the executive order. One of the portions of that executive order asked hhs to review all of the Available Research on cannabis and say whether they thought it should be moved to a different schedule. There are five schedules right now. It is at the most extreme, which is that there is no medical use for it. That is the big deal about this letter. 11 months later they have completed this review. They have said, you know, he wanted to be schedule three, which means it would be taken out of the strict parts of the controlled substances act. That is not binding. That letter was sent to the dea, which has final review and can make the final decision on whether or not cannabis will actually be moved to a different schedule. That is the next step, and i honestly dont know how long it would take. I wish i do. If anyone from the dea is watching i would love to have a chat. Maybe i could come back and give you more info on that. Host the hhs secretary sent out a tweet, part of that saying, i can now share that following the data and science, hhs responded to that directive. What kind of research or science went into making this recommendation . Guest the hhs has an eightpoint process. They look at eight different categories of scientific research. They are looking for both the potential for abuse of a drug, and they are also looking for current medical use. And medical uses which seem to have you know, there is a good framework there for more research to be done into those uses. And rescheduling it to schedule three is going to make it way, way easier to study. Right now it is very difficult. You have to get a schedule one Research License. As a scientist you can only use cannabis grown by someone who has a schedule one Research License to grow cannabis. That has really slowed down our knowledge as americans about cannabis and both its pros and cons. Host when it comes to if this reclassification happens, who does it benefit most . I suspect it was it is the industry that would benefit from this kind of move . Guest very happy about this idea, primarily because it will reduce the tax burden they currently have. There is a code called tax code 280e, which made it so people trafficking in narcotics could not write their business expenses off. What that means is that cannabis businesses legal at the state level cannot write their businesses off. So they buy pens or tables for their dispensary, they cannot write those things off. They cannot write off payroll, which is a huge expense for every business out there. They are paying huge amounts of tax dollars right now. And this would benefit both small momandpop dispensaries and the big cannabis corporations. The group of the cannabis industry it would not hugely benefit is cannabis growers. Because most of their expenses are the cannabis of self cannabis itself. Host when it comes to congress, what is the general attitude not only for the reclassification, but possibly this idea of legalization acrosstheboard . Guest a lot of responses from the people in congress both in the senate and house who are supportive of cannabis. By and large i would say they all walk a very thin line of applauding the administration, but also calling for more action. The house of representatives has already passed a bill back when democrats were in charge in the last congress to remove cannabis entirely from the controlled substances act. The senate has not come that far. There are still some democrats in the senate who are not in favor of a full federal do realization federal decriminalization. But congress has also been working on its own reform. The future of those is in question, given this call by hhs. It very much depends on deas timeline, whether some of the more piece will piecemeal legislation will move forward. Host when it comes to their response, have big given at least an initial response of this call, from hhs . Guest that they received a letter, and that this was the formal letter that hhs was required to send as part of this process. Have given us no other indication. They have not confirmed what was in the letter or denied what was in the letter. We have not had any denials from any, you know, agency out there. So, by process of elimination i would say usually in United States agencies they are quick to tell you if something is wrong in your reporting. I would say by process of elimination this is what was in the letter. Dea has been tightlipped beyond confirming the letter was sent, and i expect them to be tightlipped about the process going forward. Host a story our guest has online at politico. Com. Natalie fertig reports on the federal cannabis policy aspect of it. Thanks for informing our audience about this weeks move. We will take your calls. Again, if you support thiidea of nationwide legalization, 202 88000 is the number to call. Tell us why you oppose it. 202 7488001. You can also sd us a text at 202 7488003. David is in massachusetts on our support line. David, thanks for holding on. Ahead. Caller hey. Im a veteran. Im a user of cannabis, both recreationally and for like medical. I am also a professional cultivator. I have been doing it on and off for a few years now. I absolutely think that if not lowered on the schedule it should be removed. If anything it is a first step toward making drugs a Health Problem and not a criminal justice one. I think that is the biggest problem in the whole equation. Furthermore, one thing you guys did not mention is i am pretty sure cocaine is still schedule two. I really dont think that we can justify having a prison population was over 2 million people, most of whom are nonviolent, any of whom are in prison for possession of cannabis that was legal in a lot of states. That is pretty much my basic position. I love cspan and would watch eight days a week if i could. Host joe in georgia on our oppose line. Joe, good morning. Tell us why. Caller pedro, love cspan. Have a great screener with john mcardle. I am totally opposed. I think it is terrible. I think the most important election in history is coming up, and to allow people to have drugs, im working hard for donald trump and i certainly dont want to have any drugs that would mess me up where i could do all i can in the next year and a half to elect donald trump. I think for the American People this is the most important election in history. Host back to the issue at hand. When it comes to marijuana your state allows it for medical use. Some people make the case that it is a good revenue good source of revenue. What do you say about those arguments . Caller for medical use there can be exceptions, but i think drugs are, i think, terrible for the country, except for medical use. Im totally opposed. We need to have people thinking, and i dont take drugs but i think if i did i couldnt be able to vote well. So im totally opposed to drugs except for medical use. Host stephen is in lexington, kentucky on our support line. Go ahead, stephen. Caller thank you, pedro. To the last caller, you dont think donald trump has done drugs in his life . He is a rich white man. Host hold on. Stick to the point. Legalization, where are you on it . Caller i am supportive of legalization because there is medical benefits, there is economic benefits. It can create jobs. It is a great injector into the economy. Half of the states are already legal. I go to one state, one row, another state, another rule. We need some consistency in this country. Cocaine is a schedule two drug. That makes no sense. It is such a disconnect between supporters and not supporters. Older people, please, the elderly, listen, marijuana is not scary. It has been here longer than we have. So, i support it. It should be legal across the nation. It is going to come. Host stephen in kentucky. Usa today has a list of states across the United States that allow marijuana for medical treatment only. Kentucky is on that list. They they legalize that in 2022. Joined by alabama in 2021, south dakota in 2020. In 2017 it was iowa and west virginia. 2016 saw arkansas, florida, ohio, and pennsylvania join that. When it comes to marijuana for medical treatment, in 2015 it was georgia and louisiana joining that list. Hawaii in 2000. Again, your state may be familiar when it comes to legalization. Legalization across the board is what we are asking you, if you support that for recreational and medical use. Again, support it, 202 7488000. Oppose it, 202 7488001. Demetra in california on our oppose line. Caller how are you doing today . Host im well, go ahead. Caller here in california it is legal, and when the initiative was on the ballot i had voted against it, because i knew that once we voted to make it legal, once you get the foot in the door, i already knew it would eventually become recreational. And marijuana contains thc, which people need to take in the form of a pill. But instead they are just using the excuse to get high on that. So, i just really wanted to thank you for taking my call. Host that is demetra in california. Mary in cincinnati, ohio on our support line. Caller hello. Thank you for taking my call. I do support the legalization of marijuana in the United States under the federal government, because i feel it would address a concern for the nation. I just wanted to let stephen know in louisville or lexington that i am 69 years old and i am not afraid of marijuana. But i do support the legalization on the federal level, both for recreational and medical, because i feel it would address a reality. Host what do you mean by that . Caller i think, frankly, as a member of your collars have noted, this is something that is part of our culture. It is part of our culture for decades, if not centuries, and eons if we look at it internationally. I think it would help in the federal legalization to explore the many benefits that are bare that are available with marijuana, as well as the hand industry. I think that by legalizing this we would go further in seeing what we can do both for our society and environment, returning to hemp and marijuana. Host that is mary in cincinnati. That same story the usa today story you can find online, it lists the number of states that legalized Recreational Use. That has risen over the last 10 years. In 2023 minnesota and delaware did that. In 2022, rhode island and missouri. In 2021, new york and virginia as well. Illinois in 2019. In 20 it was michigan. California, maine, and massachusetts in 2016, as well as nevada. And in colorado and washington, they did that in 2012. That is the list of states that not only legalized it for marijuana use, but Recreational Use. It is the acrosstheboard that we are asking you whether that should be a nationwide thing. On our oppose line, this will be from jeff in would ridge, virginia. Caller good to speak with you. I would like to speak with you another time. I spoke with you before, but talked about mexico. I know the topic is different here. Generally i just want to issue a word of caution about this. I went to school at uc berkeley, at the only male dorm you could go to, and you could smell the part the pot as you walk the hallways there. I pursued a career that prohibited me from even trying marijuana, so i never did. But i was around it and knew about it. I had friends who smoked it. In fact, a roommate. I think he actually became addicted to it. Now, move fast forward to the late 80s and early 90s. Where i was in the military service. I will not mention which one. But i worked with dea. It is a cowboy culture. It depends how much powder, they will tell you, you put on the table. That is how you get promoted. You needed that. I dont know if it applies today so much as it did back then. Especially with so many states now legalizing marijuana. But, again, i just wanted to issue a word of caution about this. I think there still remains to be seen what the results will be. I will stay on the line. Host in arizona on our support line, jean. Caller hello, good morning. How are you . Host i am well, thank you. How about yourself . Caller i am for legalization of marijuana. In fact, i could not have said it any better than mary in ohio did. She was wonderful. Also, how do you expect a study to begun to be done if it is not legalized federally . Who can do those studies . They are not allowed to. Think of the people on chemo. These people get wonderful benefits from those. So, i am i mean, i am in my 60s. Im in support of it. I have seen friends for years smoke it. I am not a smoker. I am all for it. Host again, just some of those comments there concerning this idea of nationwide legalization. You can add yours to the mix. 202 7488000 for those of you who support it. 202 7488001 if you oppose it. On that oppose list you can add floridas governor, ron desantis, as he is campaigning for the republican nomination for the white house. At a stop in august he was asked about drug policy, particularly when it comes to marijuana. Here are some of his thoughts from august. I would not legalize. This stuff is very potent now. If young people get it i think it is a real problem. I think it is a lot different than people were using 30, 40 years ago. And i think when kids get on that a causes a lot of problems, and of course they can throw fentanyl in any of this stuff now. The drugs are killing this country. If you look in these places, i go to San Francisco a month or two ago, and i have been railing against San Francisco because i read what is going on, i hear people come to florida tell me why they moved from San Francisco to florida, and then when you actually see it drive in, within five minutes i see somebody defecating on the sidewalk in broad daylight, see these people using drugs and an openair market right by the native pelosi federal courthouse. And you are just like, you know, this is it is like society has totally decayed, but so much of it the policy is to really help these folks use drugs. It is a big, big problem. I think we need to do whatever we can to keep our kids off drugs. I think we really need to fight fentanyl on all of this stuff. Look, different states have handled cannabis differently. Florida, we have medical marijuana. Reinforce that. We abide by it. But to take action now to make it even more available, i would not do that. In the places that legalized it, like colorado and california, the argument was and it was not a crazy argument. We know people are going to use marijuana. If you legalize it you contacted, regulated, and it is in it is going to end up being safer for people. What has happened in colorado, the black market is bigger and more lucrative than before the legalization. The legalization, i dont think, has worked. Host you can see more that on our website. It was the New York Times on august 29, publishing this story about a study done by the journal of the american medical association, saying more than 1 5 of people used who used cannabis struggle with problematic use. Research found that 21 of the people in the study had some sort of cannabis use disorder, which clinicians defined as use of cannabis that leads to symptoms including recurring social and occupational problems. It was in that study, six. 5 of users suffered moderate to severe disorder. Cannabis users whose suffered or severe pendency tended to be Recreational Users. Problematic use was associated equally with recreational and medical use. The New York Times had that story, again, find it online. You support or oppose this idea of a nationwide legalization across the board of cannabis . Wendy in michigan on our oppose line. Caller how are you doing . Host im well, thank you. Caller yes, good. I am totally opposed to the legalization of marijuana. I have never taken it. Im 73 years old. I have never taken any drugs in my life and im certainly not going to start now. The only reason you would use it would be for the medical purposes, and it is the only reason i would support it. To get into recreational lead