Justice Dept plans to reschedule marijuana as a lower-risk drug

The Biden administration moved Tuesday to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk substance, a person familiar with the plans told CNN, a historic move that acknowledges the medical benefits of the long-criminalized drug and carries broad implications for cannabis-related research and the industry at large.

The Biden administration moved Tuesday to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk substance, a person familiar with the plans told CNN, a historic move that acknowledges the medical benefits of the long-criminalized drug and carries broad implications for cannabis-related research and the industry at large. The US Department of Justice recommended that marijuana be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine. “Today, [Attorney General Merrick Garland] circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Xochitl Hinojosa, the DOJ’s director of public affairs, said in a statement. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.” The formal rulemaking process is lengthy, typically includes a public comment period and could take months to complete. The rescheduling recommendation, which was first reported Tuesday by the Associated Press, was hailed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who touted it on X as “major news for businesses, tax deductions & research barriers.” Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon said in a statement that rescheduling is “one step closer to ending the failed war on drugs.”