Washington – The federal government is planning to ease restrictions on marijuana by reclassifying the drug and its possible uses.
Right now, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse. Heroin and ecstasy are Schedule I drugs.
The DEA is looking to move marijuana to Schedule III, which includes drugs like ketamine and anabolic steroids that have low to moderate potential for abuse and a currently accepted medical use.
Reclassification could take months if not years. Once the Office of Management and Budget reviews the proposal, then the Drug and Enforcement Administration will take public comment before an administrative judge reviews it.
Once the final rule is published, it could face numerous legal challenges. That’s why some marijuana policy advocates say the news is timed to be politically advantageous to a Biden administration that needs young voters.
The timing of this — it’s an election year. It’s something that’s supposed to be popular with younger voters, said Will Jones, Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Those are the two biggest reasons that we’re seeing the change right now, not because the science or research has changed but because it’s an upcoming election season and also there’s billions and millions of dollars behind this.
Jones says the reclassification will have little effect in the DMV because all three states have already flouted the classification system by decriminalizing possession and licensing medical dispensaries.
Jerry Mister, a Maryland resident who has a decades-old marijuana conviction that impedes his daily life, says the reclassification could make a meaningful difference in his life.
It would surely be a relief that they’ve kind of accepted that it’s not as bad as they’ve perceived it to be and possibly more convenient and ease of getting it, Mister said. Now it’s kind of limited to shops they have and stuff like that.
Mister tells FOX 5 that he currently pays for a Maryland medical marijuana card.
Also, the DEA publishing the final reclassification rule is just one step in a multi-step process. The Food and Drug Administration would need to go through the research and scientific approval process to answer key questions about dosage, prescription, and valuable medical uses.
