WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Joe Biden on Thursday officially proposed making marijuana a more dangerous drug, a historic change that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion.
“No one should go to jail just for drug use or possession.
“So many people are better off because of the lack of treatment for addiction, and I am committed to righting that wrong.”
Marijuana has been designated Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) since 1970 – the same as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. This classification means there is no accepted medical use and no potential for abuse.
But under the proposal, it would be relegated to Schedule III, placing it with painkillers containing ketamine and codeine, which are considered to have a moderate to low likelihood of dependence.
It’s illegal, but it can lead to fewer arrests at the federal level.
The proposed drug redefinition was announced by the Biden administration in late April, and the Justice Department officially began work on Thursday.
Marijuana will remain a controlled substance pending public comment and judicial review.
In 2022, Biden became the first president to pass a federal review of drug policy.
The issue is a tough one for Biden as he faces Republican Donald Trump in this November’s election, especially among young Democrats.
A Pew Research Center survey found that 88 percent of Americans believe drugs should be legal or recreational. Only 11 percent said it should not be legal.
Cannabis was first made federally illegal in 1937. Critics say the drug is mainly associated with jazz music, the Black community and Mexican immigrants.
Cannabis is now a multi-billion dollar business in the United States, and more than half of all states, including California and New York, have legalized the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana.
But the numbers show that racial minorities, especially black Americans, are underrepresented in drug-related incarcerations.
“This decision is very important,” the civil rights organization NAACP previously tweeted.
Since drugs are nationally controlled substances, everyone involved is still technically breaking state law.
This classification makes it difficult for drug companies to access banking services, freezes federal funding for medical drug research and prevents interstate trafficking, and federally regulates best drug practices and protocols.
The split would allow the company to deduct operating costs from taxes, which is currently prohibited.
Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin told AFP Thursday’s decision “will open important research into the medical efficacy of cannabis and make a real difference for legal operators”.
Industrial shares rose on Wall Street, with Curaleaf up 1.07 percent and Verano Holdings up .69 percent.
US proposes reclassifying marijuana as low-risk drug
