Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, joined by attorneys general from 10 other red states, sent a letter this week urging the Biden administration not to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to the lesser Schedule III classification. The letter, addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, argued that the federal proposal lacked proper regulatory approval and could violate international narcotics treaties.

Hilgers and the other attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, and South Dakota claimed that legalisation in nearby states has already caused negative consequences, including increased criminal enforcement costs and higher arrest rates for marijuana-related offences near state borders. They warned that rescheduling marijuana would further exacerbate these issues by boosting the existing marijuana industry in legalised states.

Source: Nebraska Examiner