What does marijuana reclassification mean for Missouri?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. government currently views marijuana as a substance that’s highly dangerous and addictive with no medical use, but a new push from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would change that.
Marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug along with heroin and LSD, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended lowering it to a Schedule III drug last August. That would put it on par with ketamine and some anabolic steroids, which are noted to have some medical use.
“It’s huge for marijuana businesses,” said Chris McHugh, who’s a Kansas City, Missouri attorney and owner of Vertical, a marijuana cultivation facility.
He explained that taxes associated with a Schedule I drug are extremely high, but with Schedule III it lowers significantly.
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“Marijuana companies have been saddled with this huge federal tax rate and many of them have gone under because they can’t pay their federal taxes. So, for every dollar you make, you have to pay 70 cents to the government,” he said. “That becomes like 40 cents now.”
Not only would that ease costs on businesses but he said it has the potential to make products cheaper for consumers.
“Because taxes are so high right now at the federal level we must charge higher prices to consumers,” McHugh said.
Still, the re-classification is just a proposal right now. The White House Office of Management and Budget must review it first. After that, the DEA will take public comment before going to an administrative judge for review.
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If marijuana does become a Schedule III, it’d still be a controlled substance that’s subject to rules and regulations.
“It’s still illegal to deal in these drugs without a license, but the sentence would be less,” McHugh said.
It also does not mean marijuana would be legal everywhere. That’s still left for each state to decide.
