Bill to reclassify marijuana proposed

State Sen. Kenny Yuko asks Congress to give pot less restrictive category

State Sen. Kenny Yuko recently introduced legislation asking Congress and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana to a less restrictive category.

Currently, marijuana — which is not known to have caused any overdose deaths — is a Schedule I drug along with heroin. The DEA’s Schedule I classification is for substances with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Other highly-addictive drugs like oxycodone and methamphetamine have a lower Schedule II classification, which implies some potential

medical use.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s administration could soon make it more difficult to buy, grow and sell cannibis.

Although legal for recreational use in eight states and Washington D.C. and medically in 29, marijuana remains a federal crime.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made no secret of his plan to target marijuana. A federal task force is anticipated to release a report next week that could link pot to violent crime.

According to Time magazine, Sessions could send agents to take cash, properties and supplies from marijuana businesses operating legitimately under state law. The attorney general could also choose to prosecute anyone involved in the industry — including landlords who rent properties to dispensaries.

Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, said he introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 13 because reclassification of marijuana would help ease the burden on legal medical marijuana businesses.

“Marijuana’s Schedule I status is both inaccurate and damaging to the many Americans who benefit from medical cannabis,” Yuko said. “The families of sick children who have used this product know how important it is. But researchers are afraid to study cannabis, and legal businesses are forced to remain cashonly, because the government still views it as dangerous.”

Yuko added that marijuana’s Schedule I classification makes it difficult for banks to accept money for the sale of cannibis and substantially increases costs for legal marijuana businesses, which are not allowed to deduct expenses related to Schedule I drugs.

In addition, the Schedule I classification restricts the Federal Drug Administration’s ability to research the potential benefits of medical marijuana.

“There’s a new understanding as to what that product can do for people,” Yuko said. “It’s not a gateway drug. We’re not trying to create a situation where people are walking around high all day long. ”

In addition to helping soldiers battle PTSD and suicidal thoughts, Yuko noted that cannabis has been used to successfully treat epilepsy, glaucoma, cancer and the side effects of cancer medication, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, symptoms of AIDS, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, among others.

“This can be a game changer. For Washington to try to stick their head in the sand is absolutely wrong,” the senator added. “The world and over half of the country is on board. We’re supposed to be the voices of the people.”

An April CBS poll found that 61 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legal.

The poll also found that 63 percent of Republicans do not support the federal government interfering with states on the issue.

Mike Brickner, senior policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, said he strongly opposes any major crackdown on marijuana laws.

“This is just a return back to a lot of the failed policies we have seen over the last several decades with the war on drugs,” said Brickner. “Many legislators have had this tough on crime mentality, and it just has not worked for our community. These laws just funnel more people into our criminal justice system. Ohio has 20,000 people in county jails each day, and a lot of these people are in for low-level crimes like drug possession.

“Marijuana is part of this war on drugs that has not benefited our society whatsoever. We have tried to address drug addiction through the criminal justice system, when really the better way to address it is through public health. We have to look at ways to treat the issue. We’re spending billions of dollars on our state prison systems.”

Brickner added that statistics show the crime rate has actually fallen in places like Washington state that have legalized recreational marijuana.

“I just don’t believe that it’s true that marijuana leads to violent crime,” he said.

Brickner said a federal marijuana crackdown would be dangerous for another reason.

According to a 2013 ACLU study, in Ohio you are 4.1 times more likely to be arrested for pot possession if you are black than if you are white.

“Marijuana laws are oftentimes disproportionately against people of color, despite the evidence that blacks and whites use marijuana at essentially the same rate,” he said. “And once you have a conviction on your record, it becomes much more difficult to find employment or housing.”