During Barack Obama’s presidency, the government eased enforcement of federal marijuana laws in U.S. states permitting cannabis use.
In a memo dated August 29, 2013 that was sent out to U.S. attorneys in all 50 states , Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole said the Justice Department is: “committed to using its limited investigative and prosecutorial resources to address the most significant threats in the most effective, consistent and rational way.”
During President Trump’s presidency, the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law. It removed hemp, defined as cannabis- sativa L, and derivatives of cannabis with no more than 0.3 percent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This took hemp that met the standards above, off of schedule 1, and made it federally legal.
Schedule I and Schedule III as defined by the DEA:
Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote.
Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Examples of Schedule III drugs are: products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone.
In 2022, President Biden asked for a review of federal marijuana policy. He then moved to pardon thousands of people that were convicted at the federal level for simple possession of marijuana. He called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.
In April 2024, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced that they will move to reclassify marijuana to schedule III. If reclassification goes into effect, it means marijuana will no longer be prohibited and illegal at the federal level. What schedule III does as outlined in an article by Colorado Politics:
“Schedule III status doesn’t fully legalize cannabis. According to the Associated Press, Schedule III drugs “are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution. The Associated Press also noted marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA under Schedule III status. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, their report said in April. As of last year, 38 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 24 have legalized recreational marijuana.”
About the Reclassification Tour
The Reclassification Tour: a journey from the bottom of the east coast to the top, visiting cities, states, people, and businesses and focus the conversation on the move in progress to reschedule Cannabis (Marijuana).
The tour is led by Vee, the Traveling Cannabis Writer sponsored by heavyweight sponsor: Sinful Brands/Drink Sinful, and a handful of others supporting: media and promotion (40 Tons Brand, BlkMeninSuits_UrbaneNation, and the Highly Connected App), and fashion (Styylistics and B Luxury Essentials). The tour left Florida and traveled through and to:
- East Coast Georgia
- East Coast South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Washington D.C
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- New York
- Massachusetts
The journey took us to: hemp farms, cannabis cultivation facilities, cannabis dispensaries, cannabis friendly lodging, cannabis labs, and USDA Agriculture Offices. The Reclassification Tour focused on the east coast because that’s where the constitution was signed, where the nation’s capital is located, and where the civil war ended. It made sense to start the tour on the east coast.
The tour started in the deep south, exploring nature and culture in: Northern FL, East Coast GA, and Southeast SC. The cannabis exploration portion of the tour started in North Carolina at Busted Bucket Farm in Efland, NC, and continued as I traveled north state by state.
Stay tuned for articles featuring the states I visited, businesses that I visited/hosted me/involved in some way, cannabis experiences/products, thoughts on reclassification, and more.
Articles will be published in the various magazines that I contribute to, and emails will go out to subscribers that include the link and which magazine the article can be found in.
If you haven’t subscribed to join the Traveling Cannabis Writer community and/or writer’s network, you want to make sure that changes immediately.
We don’t send daily emails that load up your inbox. We send out emails when there is a new blog up, breaking/ you need to know this, news, and free guides that teach Creative’s how to get published.
Next up on the Traveling Cannabis Writer Blog:
4 Night Oceanside Stay in Florida for Less Than $900
Booking Your Stay at the Beach in North Carolina for Less than $60 a Night
Veronica “Vee” Castillo is known as the <Traveling Cannabis Writer>. She is a published writer, connector, traveler, and a member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association Board of Directors.
Her body of work, which includes over 200 published articles in 15 publications, covers all things and people in cannabis/ hemp/ and overall plant medicines. She can be found in both digital and print where she provides cannabis industry and community insights from her 6 year journey around the country.
She specializes in bringing to light the hidden gems in the plant space and beyond. You can follow her journey on Instagram: @vee_travelingvegcannawriter and/or LinkedIn: @Traveling Cannabis Writer.
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