An overwhelming number of comments submitted to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the proposal to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act favored the reforms or urged the government to deschedule cannabis entirely, according to an analysis by cannabis intelligence firm Headset. The analysis found 57% of comments submitted during the public comment period favored descheduling cannabis entirely, 35% supported rescheduling cannabis, and just 8% opposed the reforms, favoring keeping cannabis as a Schedule I drug.
According to the data, most comments were submitted on the very last day of the period. Of those, 5,093 favored either rescheduling or descheduling, with just 169 comments opposed. Not during a single day of the comment period were there more comments opposed to the reforms than in support. On July 15, there were 497 opposition comments submitted and 539 in support – marking the thinnest daily margin during the period.
“These numbers paint a clear picture: over 9 out of 10 individuals who took the time to comment believe that cannabis should not remain a Schedule I substance. Moreover, the majority of commenters went beyond the proposed rescheduling to Schedule III, arguing for complete removal from the controlled substances list. This overwhelming show of public support, equivalent to the unanimous voice of an entire state capital, sends a powerful message to policymakers. It suggests that not only is there broad backing for the proposed rescheduling, but there’s also a significant push for even more comprehensive reform.” — Headset, “Unprecedented Support for Cannabis Scheduling Reform Revealed by Data from the DEA Comment Period,” 7/23/24
Headset notes that many of the comments opposing the reforms appeared to be form letters provided by anti-cannabis groups, such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which on July 15 issued a call to action for its supporters and provided the form letter – the group was still bested by pro-reform commentors on the day.
In all more than 42,000 comments were submitted during the comment period.
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