Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told a group of senators last week that if confirmed, he would defer to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the issue of cannabis rescheduling, Marijuana Moment reports.
Previously, as a presidential candidate, Kennedy said multiple times that he supported federally legalizing cannabis. But during an appearance before the Senate Finance Committee last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked Kennedy whether he would “commit to working with the DOJ and DEA to swiftly resume proceedings on the scheduling of marijuana” — he said he would defer to the federal agencies overseeing the hearings.
“I defer to the DOJ and DEA on the allocation of their resources and the development of their priorities. Consistent with all applicable laws, I will ensure that HHS’s expertise is available to assist those agencies as needed.” — Kennedy, in his response
First initiated last year under the Joe Biden administration, the hearings were postponed in January amidst legal challenges claiming the DEA is unfit to oversee the hearings due to its longstanding bias against the reforms.
Kennedy also said that in regard to policies resulting in the release of cannabis prisoners, “I defer to the Department of Justice and state and local authorities for the enforcement of criminal justice.”
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