In a historic shift, the US President’s administration has proposed reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. This would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion, where 88% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use. The reclassification from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug would reduce the potential for arrests at the federal level, facilitate research, and provide a significant boost to the legal industry.
The Biden administration has formally proposed reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion. Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act since 1970, meaning it is deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The proposal would downgrade marijuana to a Schedule III drug, putting it alongside drugs like ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, considered to have a moderate to low likelihood of dependence.
