Napa & Sonoma cannabis leaders weigh in on proposal to change how drug is classified. “Historic” — that’s the word that came up over and over again among North Bay, state and national cannabis leaders in describing a proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The proposal by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would move marijuana from the Schedule I category, with drugs like heroin, and into the Schedule III category, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. The proposed change comes on the heels of a recommendation from U.S. Health and Human Services and a call by President Joe Biden for a review of federal drug policy. Brandon Levine, CEO of Sonoma County-based Mercy Wellness, sent a letter last month to the White House asking for a change. A letter signed by the president was returned to Levine, taking issue with people languishing in jail over marijuana possession.
