In April, the federal government moved cannabis to a less-restrictive drug category, acknowledging for the first time that cannabis has currently accepted medical use. This change made some cannabis legal when used at the recommendation of a doctor licensed to practice in a state-legal market. Since then, millions of Americans have been responsibly using federally legal, Schedule 3 cannabis, and federal prohibition is now an artifact of the past for these individuals.
While a related hearing scheduled to conclude Wednesday will decide the fate of cannabis that is not recommended by a doctor, the existing medical channel is not part of that hearing. The gains from the rescheduling are real, and the movement has changed the rules. Prohibitionists have lost territory they used to control.
In recognition of this important progress, NuggMD has pledged to donate 3% of its revenue booked this week to NORML in support of its work fighting to end prohibition, expand cannabis access, and defend consumer rights.
“NORML has long defended patient rights and consumer access,” says NuggMD CEO Charlie Russell. “We’re excited to support the organization and the necessary work they continue to do for this industry and the millions of patients we serve.”
“Simply flipping the switch and saying cannabis is no longer prohibited doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done to ensure these now legal consumers are treated respectfully and fairly. That’s where continued advocacy comes in,” says NORML deputy director Paul Armentano. “Political change doesn’t happen without advocacy. And political gains can be lost without continued advocacy… At the end of the day, the most effective advocates are patients and consumers. They have led the way and they need to continue to do so.”
NuggMD is the leading cannabis telehealth platform, connecting patients with licensed medical cannabis practitioners in most U.S. states, the United Kingdom, and Germany. It has facilitated more than 2.5 million medical cannabis evaluations since its founding in 2015. This donation underscores the ongoing need for advocacy to protect the rights of medical cannabis patients and ensure respectful treatment in the evolving legal landscape.
