BY RUTH HILL R.N.
Perhaps the most significant development of 2024 was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) announcement that it would act on the Biden administration’s call to re-schedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This historic move is considered to be the biggest step towards federal legalization in more than half a century. If successful, re-scheduling would solve federal illegality, IRC 280E, and the unavailability of Patent and Bankruptcy protections.
Advances in Cannabis Research
For the fourth consecutive year, researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to cannabis, its active constituents, and their effects, according to the results of a keyword search of the National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov website.
Expanding State Access
As of November 2024, recreational cannabis is legal in 24 states while medical cannabis is legal in 40 states. In 2024, 74% of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal either for recreational or medical use. State legalization efforts appear to reflect the continued trend of increasing public support, which hit a record 70% this past year based on a Gallup poll.
State Courts Have Expunged Over Two Million Marijuana-Related Convictions
Since 2018, state courts have either expunged or sealed the records of more than 2.3 million marijuana-related cases, according to an analysis released by NORML earlier this year. States that have been most active in providing relief to those with past convictions include California, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
Federal Data Shows Teen Marijuana Use Has Plunged Over Past Decade
The NSDUH data reports that the percentage of those ages 12 to 17 who report having ever tried marijuana fell 18 percent from 2014 to 2023. Marijuana legalization proves that these policies can be implemented in a manner that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.”
Trump Voices Support for State-Level Legalization
While campaigning in September, President-elect Donald Trump expressed support for state-level marijuana legalization. “As President, [my administration] will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including SAFE banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states’ rights to pass marijuana laws … that work so well for their citizens.”
Marijuana Arrests Fall to 30-Year Low
State and local police made at least 217,150 arrests for marijuana violations last year, according to data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and posted on its Crime Data Explorer website. Not since the early 1990s has the FBI reported so few annual marijuana-related arrests.
Older Adults Are Increasingly Consuming Cannabis, CBD Products
More than one in five US adults over the age of 50 report having consumed cannabis in the past year, according to survey data provided by the University of Michigan and AARP. Over 60 percent of older consumers acknowledged using it to relax, help with sleep, or relieve pain.
Fentanyl Rarely Ever Identified in Illicit Cannabis Samples
Forensic labs rarely ever identify the presence of fentanyl in illicit cannabis samples, according to an analysis published in October in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. Harvard Medical School researchers reviewed drug chemistry results from nearly 12 million samples of illicit substances seized by law enforcement between 2013 and 2023. The study’s results show no evidence of widespread fentanyl co-occurrence with cannabis.
Consumers Frequently Report Substituting Cannabis for Alcohol, Other Substances
Most marijuana consumers say that their cannabis consumption reduces their use of alcohol and many also report substituting it for other psychotropic substances, including methamphetamine, morphine, and tobacco, according to survey data published in November in The Harm Reduction Journal.
Public Support for Legalizing Marijuana Remains Near Historic High
Sixty-eight percent of US adults say that “the use of marijuana should be legal,” according to nationwide polling data released this year by Gallup. That percentage is among the highest levels of support ever reported by pollsters. One issue that Americans largely agree upon: “It’s time to legalize marijuana.”
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