The Dangers of Rescheduling Marijuana: DEA Testimony Part IIThe Dangers of Rescheduling Marijuana: DEA Testimony Part II
The Addiction Podcast - Point of No Return
Medical experts express strong concerns about cannabis rescheduling, highlighting pregnancy risks, youth harms and what they describe as misused science in DEA hearings. The conversation urges affected families to speak up to policymakers about their experiences with cannabis-related harm.
24:16•24 Sept 2026
Cannabis, Pregnancy and Policy: Doctors Challenge DEA Rescheduling
Episode Overview
- The guests state that many dispensaries in Colorado advise pregnant women to use marijuana in the first trimester, which they describe as a critical period for foetal brain development.
- Large studies cited in the discussion are said to show links between in‑utero cannabis exposure and later psychotic‑like symptoms, truancy and behaviour problems in children and adolescents.
- The doctors claim daily cannabis use leads to cannabis use disorder in about 30% of users, and argue this indicates a high abuse potential compared with some other controlled substances.
- Serious concerns are raised about the lack of defined doses, interactions and side‑effect data for the many cannabinoids present in cannabis, while it is being promoted as a medicine.
- The conversation calls on families and individuals harmed by cannabis products to speak to legislators and officials, so their experiences can inform decisions on drug policy and rescheduling.
“Victims need voices.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This instalment of The Addiction Podcast turns its attention to cannabis and the heated debate over rescheduling in the United States. Aimed at families, people in recovery, and anyone worried about drug policy, this conversation brings together three medical experts: Dr Philip Drum, Dr Ken Finn and Dr Karen Randall. They share their concerns about the DEA’s cannabis rescheduling hearings and what they see as serious risks being brushed aside.
The tone is frank, a bit fiery, but grounded firmly in clinical experience and published research. You’ll hear Dr Finn describe survey data from Colorado showing that “70% of the over 400 dispensaries that were surveyed were telling women to use marijuana during the first trimester of pregnancy,” despite this being a crucial time for foetal brain development.
The doctors refer to large NIH‑funded studies linking in‑utero cannabis exposure with psychotic‑like symptoms and ongoing behaviour problems in children and young teens. The episode also looks at possible links between cannabis use and autism spectrum disorders, rising cancers, and a reported 30% rate of cannabis use disorder among daily users – a higher figure than that cited for daily opiate use.
Dr Drum questions how a plant with more than 100 cannabinoids could be called “medicine” when, as he puts it, “we have no idea” about doses, interactions or side‑effects for most of them. Beyond the science, there’s strong criticism of how testimony was recorded and summarised, with the guests alleging misquotations and altered statements.
They urge people harmed by high‑potency cannabis products – or whose families have been affected – to speak up to legislators and officials, stressing that “victims need voices.” If you’re sober, sober‑curious, or just worried about how changing cannabis laws might affect vulnerable people, this conversation might prompt some challenging questions of your own.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.