Physicians Warn Rescheduling Cannabis Would Not Make America Great or Healthy

IASIC Urges President Trump to Reject Move, Citing Addiction, Mental Health, and Safety Risks

BURLINGTON, VT, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC), a physician-led international body of cannabis science experts, is calling on President Donald J. Trump to oppose the proposed federal rescheduling of botanical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

In a letter to President Trump, IASIC leaders warn that such a move would directly undermine the President’s stated goals of Making America Great Again and Making America Healthy Again by weakening safeguards against a substance linked to serious health and safety risks.

“Botanical cannabis has not met a single FDA standard for safety, efficacy, or product integrity,” said Dr. Eric A. Voth, President and Chairman of IASIC. “Rescheduling now would be driven by politics and industry lobbying rather than by rigorous science. That is a recipe for public health disaster.”

In its letter to the President, IASIC outlined four major concerns:

1.) Failure to Meet Federal Medical Use Standards – Dispensary cannabis lacks standardization, safety data, and expert consensus, and is not supported by high-quality efficacy studies.
2.) Flawed Redefinition of Medical Use by HHS – Most practitioners do not recommend cannabis, and limited scientific support comes from studies of FDA-approved cannabinoid medications, not crude plant products.
3.) Documented Public Health Harms – Research links cannabis use to addiction, psychosis, maternal-fetal harm, pediatric poisonings, and product contamination.
4.) International Treaty Conflicts – Rescheduling without halting recreational sales would violate the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

Dr. Ken Finn, Vice-President of IASIC, emphasized the stakes: “Cannabis today is not the mild drug of decades past—it is a high-potency, unregulated product that is addicting millions, harming developing brains, and sending more people to the ER. Any move to reschedule must be based on sound science, not marketing hype.”

IASIC supports continued research into cannabinoid-based therapies and endorses FDA-approved medicines like dronabinol and cannabidiol for specific, proven indications. However, the organization rejects equating these regulated drugs with unregulated botanical cannabis sold in state dispensaries.

“America’s strength depends on the health and productivity of its people,” Dr. Voth added. “Loosening cannabis restrictions now would erode both.”

John Pastuovic
+1 312-925-9092
john@jpcpr.com
International Academy of the Science and Impact of Cannabis

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