My job as the District Attorney of Warren County is to uphold the law and protect public safety. But our laws must make sense — and when it comes to cannabis, the federal government’s policy is increasingly out of step with reality.

Cannabis is currently classified under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the same category as heroin and LSD. That designation means it’s considered to have “no accepted medical use,” despite the fact that 38 states, including Pennsylvania, have legal medical marijuana programs helping patients and veterans with chronic pain, cancer and many other medical conditions.

It’s an obvious contradiction, and a growing problem for everyone in law enforcement.

We need clarity, not confusion, to fairly and effectively enforce the law. Right now, federal law says one thing, state law says another, and law enforcement is caught in the middle.

It’s time to fix this discrepancy. President Donald J. Trump supports moving cannabis to Schedule III, because he understands what many in Washington still don’t – that continuing to classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug is both logically indefensible and legally problematic.

Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, should support this movement, so our police officers have critical clarity, and we can advance medicinal treatments to levels never seen before.

A new designation under Schedule III would unlock new opportunities for therapeutic advancements and scientific research that are currently hindered by red tape. Children suffering from epilepsy, and our American heroes that have returned home with PTSD, deserve better.

Designating cannabis under Schedule III would not legalize marijuana, but would acknowledge the plant’s growing medical benefits and give doctors more freedom to treat patients responsibly. There are thousands of Pennsylvanians like myself, who rely on cannabis for medical remedies.

But due to the current federal classification, scientists who conduct research on cannabis must deal with unnecessary obstacles. If cannabis is moved to Schedule III, there will still be proper oversight, albeit without the barriers that are hindering remedial innovation.

Whether you are a liberal or conservative, cannabis is not a traditional political issue that falls into a clear category. Here’s the reality – the American populace already agrees with a logical, practical approach.

According to recent polling, more than 62 percent of Americans, including 54 percent of Republicans, believe we should have a safe, legal and regulated cannabis market. These statistics include people in rural and conservative areas, like Warren County, Pennsylvania.

This isn’t about left or right ideologies; it’s a rational position rooted in common sense.

For law enforcement, rescheduling cannabis is not just about following the science, and aligning federal code with state policies. Rather, it’s about ensuring that the laws we enforce actually serve public safety. After all, when our laws don’t reflect the values or the realities of the communities we serve, trust in the system erodes.

I’ve talked to Pennsylvanians from every corner of the state, such as disabled veterans, cancer patients, and many others who consume cannabis for a medical condition. They’re not asking for a free-for-all. They’re asking for safe, legal, and regulated access to a medicine that works for them. They also want laws that reflect reality.

I urge our leaders in Washington to support moving cannabis to Schedule III.

This is not a radical move. It’s a measured, bipartisan, and overdue reform that reflects medical science, respects state laws, and restores coherence to our criminal justice system.

We have a duty to enforce laws that make sense. And right now, the status quo doesn’t.

Rob Greene is the District Attorney for Warren County.