Key takeaways:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug.
- Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
- The DEA has received the letter from the HHS, but has not yet made a decision on the recommendation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has formally recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ease government restrictions on marijuana, according to a report from Bloomberg News. In a letter addressed to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine asked for marijuana to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. This classification puts it in the same category as other drugs such as heroin and LSD. If the DEA were to accept the HHS recommendation, marijuana would be reclassified as a Schedule III drug, which would allow for more research and potential medical use.
The recommendation comes 11 months after President Joe Biden ordered the top health agency to conduct a review of the drug. Currently, about 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains completely illegal in some states and at the federal level.
The DEA has confirmed it has received the letter from the HHS, but has not yet made a decision on the recommendation. If the DEA were to accept the HHS recommendation, it would be a major step forward in the effort to legalize marijuana at the federal level. However, it is unclear when or if the DEA will make a decision on the recommendation.
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