Good evening. Here's what's moving in the world of medical cannabis today.
Pew Poll finds majority of Americans now oppose cannabis prohibition
A new survey from the Pew Research Centre has found that support for ending cannabis prohibition continues to grow among the American public. The poll, released on 27 May, indicates that a clear majority of US voters now favour liberalising marijuana laws, with opposition to criminalisation at its highest level on record.
The findings were welcomed by the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which said elected officials who fail to act on cannabis reform do so "at their own political peril". The organisation noted that the trend reflects sustained public demand for an end to federal prohibition, particularly as medical cannabis programmes expand across the country.
NORML seeks representation at DEA rescheduling hearing
NORML has formally requested a seat at the upcoming Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing on the proposed rescheduling of cannabis under US federal law. In a submission filed on 26 May, the organisation argued that the hearing record would be "incomplete" without the perspective of adult cannabis consumers, whom NORML has represented for more than five decades.
The DEA is currently reviewing a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Such a change would recognise cannabis as having accepted medical use and lower the regulatory barriers to research and clinical access, though it would not fully legalise the plant at federal level.
NORML's intervention underscores the ongoing debate over how patient and consumer voices should be heard in the rescheduling process, which is expected to draw significant attention from medical cannabis advocates and industry stakeholders alike.
US abortion restrictions affect miscarriage care, study finds
A new study published in The Guardian has highlighted an unintended consequence of US abortion restrictions: reduced access to quality care for miscarriages. The research found that states which have enacted abortion bans since the June 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation decision are increasingly adopting a "wait-and-see" approach, rather than offering medication or procedural interventions that meet established medical standards.
While this story is not directly about cannabis, it is relevant to the broader landscape of reproductive health and drug policy in the United States. The findings may influence future debates around the scheduling of medications used in miscarriage management, including those with potential interactions with cannabinoid-based therapies.
