On May 21, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (FR) to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has submitted a public comment in response to this proposed rule, highlighting the potential implications for epilepsy research and treatment.
Background: Currently, marijuana is classified under Schedule I of the CSA, a category reserved for substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the United States. In contrast, Schedule III substances are considered to have a lower potential for abuse and recognized medical use.
The Schedule I classification imposes significant barriers to research, restricting scientists' ability to conduct comprehensive studies on marijuana's potential therapeutic benefits. Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III would alleviate some of these restrictions, expanding research opportunities and allowing researchers in the United States to better understand the cannabis plant.
AES Public Comment: To increase rigorous clinical research, the American Epilepsy Society (AES) supports the United States Department of Justice's transfer of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. The AES support for rescheduling is not an endorsement of the legalization of cannabis but rather is a recognition that the current restrictions on the use of cannabis products for research continue to significantly limit scientifically rigorous research into the development of cannabis-based treatments.
This public comment is consistent with our existing position on cannabis as a treatment for patients with epileptic seizures, which can be found here.