Do you agree with HHS’s recommendation that marijuana be reclassified from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III?

👍 Yes (40%) – "I worked in the cannabis industry in Oregon for many years. You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to travel in your own car with loads of cash, you become a sitting duck for robbery. This would allow so many people In the industry the ability to operate like a normal business."

• "It's not a "hard" drug, but it's not harmless, either. And let's be honest, tons of people abuse it. But, it does have medical uses that are worth exploring."

"I think Schedule 3 is the drug’s rightful place. Although, weed is still not something people should be doing outside of prescription drug forms or in moderation. I am in my late 20s now and the friends I have that never grew up and have never done anything for themselves or others are very dependent on weed to “be happy and relax.”"

🚭 No, marijuana should remain Schedule I (17%) – "While marijuana is not as bad as heroin, the bad effects it can have especially on developing brains are very serious. Constantly downgrading the category of marijuana in an attempt to make it just like tobacco or even better, ignores the serious health and societal effects that will occur as a result."

• "Making it a Class III drug would make it more widely available to the general public, which is dangerous, because just like the opioid epidemic, prescriptions might start with a doctor, but the addiction never ends there. Marijuana needs to be carefully regulated to protect the public from its addictiveness so that fewer people will be hurt by it."

🌿 No, marijuana shouldn’t be illegal at all (32%) – "I live in an area known for Pot production. The people putting in the work to sell a legal product should not have to jump through legal hoops that are imposed for stronger drugs."

• "Marijuana shouldn't be illegal at all anyone of adult age (I'd settle for early 20s as well) Benefits are well known at this point. Too many lives have been ruined for having a plant. The drug schedule is a joke. Give people more autonomy with their bodies. We all agree alcohol prohibition was bad for society, and future historians will say the same about marijuana."
• "I don't believe the government's job is to protect people from themselves and their bad choices. We tried prohibition with alcohol, and that didn't work out so well. Had we legitimized marijuana in the 1960s and spent our efforts on rehabilitation, education, and personal-choice interventions, we would have far fewer incarcerated and well-developed programs to deal with the outliers (like we have for alcohol abuse). Finally, had the war on drugs not forced marijuana transactions onto the black market, billions of dollars would not have flowed to gangs and cartels, so their power would be much less today.

🤷 Unsure/other (11%) – "Legalize it and let states decide how to regulate it just like many have. Though I remain confused about the long-term negative effects (if any) of MJ use."