Indiana AG sues federal government over marijuana reclassification – WKRC

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by WKRC
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) – Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R-Indiana) has filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an attempt to reverse the rescheduling of cannabis.
According to WXIN, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit following the federal government's reclassification of cannabis last month.
The Trump Administration announced on April 23 that "FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license" would be reclassified as a Schedule III controlled substance.
“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options. This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a release from the Justice Department.
“Under the direction of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche, DEA is expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process — bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “Our men and women in law enforcement remain committed to fighting drug cartels, the fentanyl epidemic, and protecting American lives.”
Per WXIN's report, a filing on May 22 reportedly states, "(T)his agency action is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law. Petitioners thus ask that this Court declare unlawful and vacate this final agency action," with a statement to WXIN from the office of the attorney general reportedly stating, "One of our office's top priorities is protecting Hoosier families, especially our children and young people, from the serious dangers posed by expanded access to marijuana."
A report from WTHR states that Rokita is joined by the attorneys general of Nebraska and Louisiana, with the May 22 filing reportedly claiming that the U.S. Department of Justice, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration failed to follow proper procedure when reclassifying the substance.
Kevin Sabet, the president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), told WXIN that the primary concern is that the marijuana products have "gone through no oversight."
“No one has any problem with a medicine going through the FDA and proper protocols and a pharmacist dispensing it, even if it’s a marijuana-based medicine, but when it’s these products that have gone through no oversight, that’s where the problems start," Sabet said, per the report.
WTHR reported that the complaint was ultimately consolidated on May 27 with a separate lawsuit that was filed earlier in May by SAM and the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA).
State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) told WXIN's reporters that he doesn't see the lawsuit impeding lawmakers in Indiana from introducing marijuana reforms next session.
“Now with President Trump rescheduling it, I look forward to this advancing here in our state," Lucas said, WXIN reported. "It’s time that the state of Indiana stopped criminalizing Hoosiers for just wanting a better quality of life.”
Rokita previously joined a letter from eight attorneys general opposing the rescheduling in December.
“We all believe the science surrounding marijuana, which has become only more clear in recent weeks, properly establishes it as a Schedule I drug, and we have seen firsthand the harm the drug has caused in our communities,” the statement reads in part.
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