Columbus—Today, Senate Minority Leader Senator Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) testified on Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, which urges Congress and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana, or cannabis.

“The current scheduling of marijuana creates a catch-22, because the federal government is requiring thorough research of the medical benefits of marijuana, but the federal restrictions prohibit meaningful research from being conducted,” said Senator Yuko. “It is time that the federal government recognizes what the growing majority of states already have: that cannabis has medicinal benefits.”

Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD. However, 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to allow for comprehensive medical marijuana and cannabis programs. This classification has generated additional barriers for those who seek to use medical cannabis in research programs or as a treatment option. The rescheduling of cannabis would ease restrictions on research and ease regulatory burdens in states where marijuana is currently legal.

 “It is long overdue that the federal government acknowledges the host of people that can benefit from medical cannabis including children with cancer, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and patients with Parkinson’s, among many other conditions.”