Justice Department proposes reclassification of marijuana

The Justice Department on Thursday began a rulemaking process to downgrade marijuana’s status from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The Justice Department submitted the notice of proposed rulemaking to the Federal Register, which triggered a public comment period on the proposed rule.

What’s the difference between a Schedule I and Schedule III drug? Schedule I drugs are understood to be highly addictive, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Schedule III drugs, meanwhile, are understood to be less addictive. Additionally, Schedule I drugs are not known to have any medical benefits, while Schedule III drugs do have some medical uses, according to the National Institutes of Health. Schedule I and Schedule III drugs also have different criminal sentencing requirements for those found to have possessed, used, or distributed them, according to the DEA.

Why is the Justice Department doing this? In the notice of proposed rulemaking, the Justice Department acknowledged that the healthcare establishment has found that marijuana has some medical benefits. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also found marijuana to be less addictive than many other Schedule I drugs. If the federal government changed marijuana to a Schedule III drug, it would still be subject to federal criminal regulation.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about how some experts aren’t sure reclassifying marijuana is a good idea.

For further reading: Check out my reports in The Sift about Oregon and British Columbia recriminalizing many drugs after previously decriminalizing them.