The Department of Health and Human Services has now recommended that marijuana be classified as a lower-risk drug, a change that could have a major impact on how the cannabis industry operates, and that could be a step toward further destigmatizing the substance’s use.
Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, in the same category as heroin, and treated as more dangerous than fentanyl and cocaine. Schedule I drugs are described by the US Drug Enforcement Agency as drugs with “no accepted medical use and and a high potential for abuse.” After a request from the Biden administration for the relevant agencies to review its status, the Department of Health and Human Services has suggested the DEA — which is in charge of scheduling drugs — change its classification to Schedule III, like that of anabolic steroids and ketamine, a development first reported by Bloomberg.
Schedule III drugs are described by the DEA as drugs with “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” In total, there are five categories that drugs can be scheduled in based on their medical applications and potential for abuse. Some drugs, like nicotine and alcohol, are descheduled, which means there’s limited federal oversight. Many activists and advocates, as well as some lawmakers like Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, have argued that marijuana should be descheduled rather than rescheduled.
[Related: The federal drug scheduling system, explained]
HHS’s recommendation, which was based on a review by the Food and Drug Administration, comes as marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, even as 23 states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana and 38 states have approved access to medical marijuana.
The DEA hasn’t signaled how it will respond to the HHS recommendation. But if it does reschedule the drug, marijuana businesses are among those most likely to benefit. That’s because rescheduling would likely mean access to…
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