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Credit: Julio Cortez / AP The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com. A proposal from the Biden administration to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance is a good step in ending America’s long, and failed, war on drugs. However, much more remains to be done to align federal drug policy with the realities, and real dangers, of substance use. The Associated Press reported late last month that the Drug Enforcement Administration will soon begin the process of reclassifying marijuana, which could ease federal restrictions on the medical use of cannabis, which is legal in 38 states, including Maine. It could also ease restrictions on marijuana research. The reclassification would not impact recreational marijuana sales, which are legal in 23 states, including Maine. It would not necessarily ease restrictions on banking and loans, which some say have hampered the cannabis industry. In addition, it would not impact the sentences of those currently incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes. Still, industry officials and advocates for the legalization of cannabis hailed the proposal. Vince Sliwoski, a Portland, Oregon-based cannabis attorney who runs well-known legal blogs on those topics, told The Associated Press the proposal was “paradigm-shifting, and it’s very exciting.” “I can’t emphasize enough how big of news it is,” he said. The proposed reclassification, which will undergo further federal review and a public comment period, is significant because it signals a shift in thinking about cannabis, not because it is a major policy change. For far too long, the federal government has pursued a punitive policy toward drug use, which has not reduced overdose deaths and has led to the incarceration of far too many people — a disproportionate number of them people of color — for drug offenses. On this front, recently passed laws in Maine could help more of the state’s residents move beyond drug convictions, particularly from the time before recreational cannabis use was legalized in Maine in 2017. Under a law signed last month by Gov. Janet Mills, more drug-related criminal records can now be sealed, with the aim of helping more Mainers escape the stigma of a low-level drug conviction. Another measure will remove the age requirements for sealing criminal histories. Peter Lehman, the Maine Prison Advocacy coalition’s legislative director, told lawmakers he has worked with hundreds of people who are burdened repeatedly by criminal histories when seeking jobs, housing and even recovery services. “We also want to emphasize that the burden of a criminal record falls most heavily on the poor and racial and ethnic minorities who are overrepresented in Maine’s prisons,” Lehman said in testimony in March. “The northern, poorest and most rural counties are overrepresented in the Maine prisons partly from the same dynamic.” The law changes were among the recommendations from a state panel that reviewed how the state’s criminal records are handled. The state and federal changes are important steps in a better approach to substance use, especially cannabis use, which is now legal in Maine. Lawmakers, in both Augusta and Washington, can build on them to craft more appropriate drug policies that do not unnecessarily stigmatize people while focusing resources on reducing harmful substance use. MORE ARTICLES FROM THE BDN ADS BY REVCONTENT CANADIANS BORN 1944-1984 COULD GET THIS BENEFIT DollarGuardian EXPERT SAYS THIS DRUGSTORE WRINKLE CREAM IS ACTUALLY WORTH IT Neotonics THE MAIN CAUSE OF WRINKLES ON THE FACE! ATTENTION: IT'S NOT AGE infomedsolution THESE SYMPTOMS INDICATE PARASITES INSIDE YOUR BODY! BANISH THEM! WATCH HOW! ParasiteRelief TORONTO: THIS IS WHAT FULL MOUTH DENTAL IMPLANTS SHOULD COST YOU IN 2024 Dental Implants NEW DENTAL IMPLANTS COST ALMOST NOTHING (TAKE A LOOK) Dental Implants YOU'LL BE SURPRISED! REPOSSESSED CARS ARE GIVEN AWAY TO ANYONE! Repossessed Cars Search Ads TORONTO: THESE GARDEN SHEDS MAY NOW BE ALMOST GIVEN AWAY (PRICES MIGHT SURPRISE) Garden Sheds Search Ads ARTHRITIS OR JOINT PAIN? DO THIS IMMEDIATELY (WATCH RESULTS IN 4 DAYS) Healthier Living Tips Tagged: Marijuana THE BDN EDITORIAL BOARD The Bangor Daily News editorial board members are Publisher Richard J. Warren, Opinion Editor Susan Young, Deputy Opinion Editor Matt Junker and BDN President Todd Benoit. Young has worked for the BDN... More by The BDN Editorial Board POST NAVIGATION Previous Former Maine Senate candidate gets 15 months for assaulting police during Jan. 6 Capitol riot Next Letter: Hold companies accountable for cigarette litter MOST READ * We now know the value of Linda Bean's estate * Aroostook fire chiefs worry proposed federal regulations would strain departments * You can pan for gold and find rare rocks in Maine if you know where to look * Why the feds want to seize Maine’s illegal marijuana grow houses * Southern Maine man arrested for role in Jan. 6 Capitol attack * What scientists learn here could preserve Maine's brook trout fishery * Small Maine farms are turning to the woods to feed their animals Upcoming Events -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Thu, May 16 @12:00pm Sponsored Overeaters Anonymous Meeting St. Marks Episcopal Church Waterville, ME mi * Thu, May 16 @6:00pm Sponsored Kiwanis Meeting Kiwanis Civic Center Hampden, ME mi * Tue, May 21 @5:00pm Sponsored Assisted Migration of Maine's Forests: Insights from Experimental Planting Studies in Maine MOFGA Education Center Unity, ME mi * Thu, May 16 @12:00pm Sponsored Overeaters Anonymous Meeting St. Marks Episcopal Church Waterville, ME mi * Thu, May 16 @6:00pm Sponsored Kiwanis Meeting Kiwanis Civic Center Hampden, ME mi * Tue, May 21 @5:00pm Sponsored Assisted Migration of Maine's Forests: Insights from Experimental Planting Studies in Maine MOFGA Education Center Unity, ME mi * Thu, May 16 @12:00pm Sponsored Overeaters Anonymous Meeting St. Marks Episcopal Church Waterville, ME mi * Thu, May 16 @6:00pm Sponsored Kiwanis Meeting Kiwanis Civic Center Hampden, ME mi * Tue, May 21 @5:00pm Sponsored Assisted Migration of Maine's Forests: Insights from Experimental Planting Studies in Maine MOFGA Education Center Unity, ME mi Arrow LeftArrow Right Item 2 of 3 Tue, May 14 @6:00pm Views from Great Pond Mtn: Aislinn Sarnacki Alamo Theatre, 85 Main St, Bucksport Tue, May 14 @6:00pm City Council Meeting Brewer City Council Chambers Tue, May 14 @7:00pm True North Theatre presents 'ONCE UPON A BRIDE THERE WAS A FOREST' Cyrus Pavilion Theater Wed, May 15 Daikin VRV Install & Commissioning Johnstone Supply Wed, May 15 @7:15am Early Bird Breakfast May 2024 - ECONOMIC SUMMIT Hilton Garden Inn Bangor Wed, May 15 @8:00am Daikin VRV Install & Commissioning - Hampton Johnstone Supply Wed, May 15 @8:00am Airport Advisory Old Town, ME Wed, May 15 @9:30am Neighborhood Food Cupboard Hampden, ME Wed, May 15 @10:00am Courthouse Gallery presents Siri Beckman: A Lifetime of Wood Engravings Courthouse Gallery Fine Art Wed, May 15 @10:15am Bouncing Baby Story Time Story Room Wed, May 15 @10:30am Story Time -- Sea Creatures Brewer Public Library Wed, May 15 @11:00am Tiny Tots Storytime Story Room Wed, May 15 @2:00pm Tech Tutoring Bangor Public Library Wed, May 15 @3:30pm Dog Ears Reading Therapy Brewer Public Library Wed, May 15 @4:00pm Teen Hangout Teen Lounge Wed, May 15 @5:00pm BONE COLD - A Benefit for the Maine Veterans Project Husson University Wed, May 15 @5:30pm Spring Into Summer: Girl Scout Summer Camp Info Night Girl Scouts of Maine Thu, May 16 Trade Day 2024 Cross Insurance Center Thu, May 16 @6:30am Bangor Region Breakfast Rotary Bangor, ME Thu, May 16 @11:00am Hampden Seniors Club Luncheon Hampden, ME See All Events Add Your Event -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Subscribe * Donate * Manage Print Subscription * Manage Digital Subscription * Customer service * Newsletters * Support our mission * Staff Directory * About Us * Contact us * Sitemap * Privacy Policy * Terms of Service * BDN Store * Services * Public Notices * Classifieds * Jobs * Autos * Real Estate * Coupons & Deals * Photo & Video Store * Advertise with us * Pulse Marketing Agency * Creative Guide * Special Sections Archive © 2024 Bangor Publishing Company. 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