We’ve always stood for decriminalization and full legalization of cannabis, and that hasn’t changed. Moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III isn’t enough; not even close. It’s still a half-measure that keeps the plant criminalized and controlled. Yet, we’ll take it (for now), because it offers something we can’t ignore: immediate relief for people and businesses who continue to bear the weight of prohibition’s cruelties.
Voltaire once said: le mieux est l’ennemi du bien. The best is the enemy of the good. In cannabis, this truth is staring us in the face.
For decades, we have pushed for the best: full descheduling, the end of prohibition, freedom for the plant and for the people who built this movement. That fight is far from over. But right now, the reform on the table is rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule 3.
It is not the destination and it is not liberation. But it is a step forward. And that’s better than standing still or going back.
Incrementalism is not capitulation
Some voices in our community warn that celebrating Schedule 3 is a mistake, given that it keeps cannabis criminalized. They say it falls short of the dream. And they are right, in part. Schedule 3 will not free prisoners, erase the stigma or guarantee equity for small growers and legacy operators.
But incrementalism is not capitulation. Taking one step toward justice does not mean abandoning the march to full justice. It means we are moving.
Think of Uruguay. In 2013, it became the first country in the world to legalize adult-use cannabis. The law was criticized as clunky and incomplete; supply was limited. Many were frustrated, but Uruguay had broken the ice. Just by starting, it created space to improve and, over time, the …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
