WASHINGTON, May 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
What:
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) - three of the most pivotal drug policy reform organizations in the United States - will host a roundtable discussion/Q&A for the media on the news that, on the recommendation of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed rescheduling cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. If implemented following a rulemaking process, this unprecedented federal drug policy change could provoke reforms across many areas of marijuana-related laws. MAPS has assembled leaders with more than 50 years of combined experience in the cannabis policy reform movement to talk about what these changes are, why they matter, what myths need debunking, and what still needs to be done.
Who:
Moderator - Betty Aldworth, Director of Communications & Post-Prohibition Strategy and long time drug policy reform advocate
Guest - Karen O’Keefe - Director of State Policies at Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)
Guest - Paul Armentano - Deputy Director, NORML
Topics will include potential impacts on:
- Research & development for cannabis-based medicines
- Criminal law and systems-impacted people
- Cannabis business banking or interstate commerce
- Veterans Affairs and Veterans
- …and what’s next?
Where/When:
Thursday, May 2, 2024
11:00 AM ET
Register online: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2Rot6b4pQ26F6MQXgo4hTQ
Accredited media only. Questions may be directed to maps@kcsa.com.
Why:
Cannabis has been a substance of interest for MAPS since its inception in 1986. Cannabis sits squarely in the MAPS mission that envisions “a world where psychedelics and marijuana are safely and legally available for beneficial uses, and where research is governed by rigorous scientific evaluation of their risks and benefits.” Most recently in 2021, MAPS was awarded a $12.9M grant from Michigan to research inhaled cannabis for symptoms of PTSD among Veterans.
In August of 2023, the HHS provided a recommendation to the DEA recommending that the DEA reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. The DEA’s proposal was circulated on Tuesday April 30, and it serves as a moment in time where the media will be looking for informed sources and validated facts to talk about the future of cannabis in America.
Contact:
maps@kcsa.com
ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS previously sponsored the most advanced psychedelic-assisted therapy research in the world and continues to support psychedelic and marijuana research with a focus on the people and places most impacted by trauma. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics, a drug-development public benefit company, and The Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance psychedelic research, change drug policy, and shape culture.
