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It could come today. Or in a few weeks. Maybe within the next month.
Whenever it happens, rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act – which regulates what drugs are considered illegal and just how illegal they are – would be the biggest step the federal government has taken toward marijuana legalization since it was first outlawed nearly 100 years ago.
It’s the cap of a nearly 15-month process that began in October 2022, when President Joe Bidden tasked the Department of Health and Human Services with reviewing how marijuana is scheduled. In August, the department formally recommended rescheduling the drug, formally filing its recommendations with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which has the final say.
But when the HHS released documentation concerning its rationale for rescheduling, it sparked a renewed debate: Does rescheduling marijuana go far enough?
Here’s a breakdown of the issues ahead of the DEA’s anticipated decision.
What does rescheduling marijuana actually mean?
Currently, cannabis is a Schedule I drug which means the federal government determines there’s no medicinal value. Other Schedule I substances include heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
In 2022, Biden recommended that cannabis be rescheduled as a Schedule III substance, like ketamine, testosterone, anabolic steroids or Tylenol with codeine. Schedule III substances are determined to have a low to moderate potential for addiction, according to the DEA. [Read More @ The Asbury Park Press]
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