(WASHINGTON DC.) – The US Drug Enforcement Agency will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift in U.S. drug policy for generations that could have broad ripple effects across the country.
The DEA proposal, which has yet to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize The medical uses of cannabis. and recognize that it has less potential for abuse than some of the country’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not completely legalize marijuana for recreational use.
The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last major regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can come into force. .
Once OMB approves it, the DEA will accept public comments on the plan to remove marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin and LSD. Moves marijuana to Schedule III, along with ketamine and some anabolic steroids. following a recommendation from the federal Department of Health and Human Services. After the public comment period, the agency would publish the final rule.
It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to I’m sorry thousands of Americans federally convicted of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to expunge convictions for marijuana possession.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been turned upside down because of our failed approach to marijuana. It is time for us to right these wrongs.”
The election-year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.
Schedule III drugs remain controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic them without a permit could still face federal criminal prosecution.
Some critics argue that the DEA should not change course on marijuana, saying reclassification is not necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.
On the other end of the spectrum, others argue that marijuana should be removed from the list of controlled substances entirely and instead regulated like alcohol.
Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years: 38 have already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.
That has helped fuel the rapid growth of the marijuana industry, worth an estimated nearly $30 billion. Relaxing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for companies, according to industry groups. It could also make marijuana research easier, since it is very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies with Schedule I substances.
The rescheduling’s immediate effect on the country’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, as federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years. Biden has already pardoned thousands of Americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal law.
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Goodman reported from Miami, Mustian from New Orleans. AP writer Colleen Long contributed.