DEA reviews lowering classification of marijuana

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday asked the Drug Enforcement Agency to lower the federally defined risk level of marijuana. Bloomberg was the first to report the news Wednesday after HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote on social media about delivering an unspecified “scheduling recommendation” for marijuana to the DEA. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote later that day that the recommendation was to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance.

Why does this matter? The DEA considers marijuana a Schedule I drug, a substance believed to have no accepted medicinal benefits. Heroin and LSD are also Schedule I drugs. Schedule II drugs—such as fentanyl or morphine—may have some medicinal benefits while having certain risks for creating dependency. According to Schumer, HHS requested marijuana be reclassified to a Schedule III drug, classifying it as a less addictive controlled substance, alongside anabolic steroids, testosterone, or ketamine.

Dig deeper: Read Heather Frank’s report in WORLD Magazine about how CBD can affect fetal development.