Cannabis reclassification could be game-changer for US drug policy
PHILADELPHIA - In a historic move, the Biden Administration is announcing an interim rule to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The proposal is being held as a potential game changer for drug policy in the U.S.
The rulemaking process could take months to complete, and the move itself still needs to be reviewed.
The DEA proposal would reclassify it from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III that can be lawfully prescribed as medication.
"It’s about time we take it out of the category of LSD and heroin given that people are dying every day from fentanyl which is a much bigger problem." said Dr. Mike Cirigliano, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
U.S. to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug in historic policy shift
The DEA’s proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs.
Many say it's a step in a positive direction, allowing research to happen on the plant nationwide.
"We really hope we'll see a softening of some of the prohibitionist positions of what it means when it comes to cannabis." Said Meredith Buettner, PA Cannabis Coalition.
Buettner says it'll ultimately give operators more money to invest in people and products while reducing the cost of medicine.
But some say, it doesn't mean the harm for addiction and the risk of public safety goes away.
"It is still an illegal drug here in Pennsylvania and recognizing the THC potency levels are really the highest we’ve seen in history and it’s causing significant harm." said Dan Bartkowiak, Director of Communication Pennsylvania Family Institute.
In Pennsylvania, the move will not legalize marijuana for recreational use in the state, and it would not end the criminalization of the drug.
If it moves forward, the DEA will have the final say on reclassification.
It's believed a formal decision could come by end of summer.