In a historic move aligning federal policy with public sentiment, President Joe Biden’s administration formally proposed reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a shift that could significantly alter the landscape of cannabis regulation in the United States.
“No one should be in jail merely for using or possessing marijuana. Period,” Biden declared in a video statement on Thursday.
He highlighted the importance of rectifying the injustices caused by the longstanding punitive approach to marijuana.
“Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana, and I’m committed to righting those wrongs,” he added.
Since 1970, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), placing it in the same category as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. This classification indicates that it is considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
However, under the new proposal, marijuana would be reclassified as a Schedule III drug, akin to ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, which are viewed as having a moderate to low likelihood of dependence.
While the reclassification would not legalise marijuana, it could reduce the number of federal arrests related to the drug.
The Biden administration’s proposal to reclassify cannabis was unveiled at the end of April, and the Justice Department officially initiated the process on Thursday.
Marijuana will remain a controlled substance until the completion of this process, which includes a public comment period and the possibility of a hearing before a judge.
President Biden made history in 2022 as the first sitting president to initiate a federal review of marijuana policy.
The issue is seen as a potential vote-winner for Biden as he prepares for a tough re-election battle against Republican Donald Trump this November, particularly among younger voters whom the Democratic incumbent has struggled to attract.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, 88 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, while only 11 percent think it should remain illegal.
The cannabis industry has welcomed Biden’s proposal. Marijuana was first outlawed at the federal level in 1937, a decision critics argue was rooted in racist ideologies, associating the drug with jazz music, the Black community, and Mexican immigrants.
The 1970s saw the advent of the “War on Drugs,” which disproportionately affected minorities. However, the medical marijuana movement gained traction in the 1990s, and by 2012, some U.S. states began legalizing recreational cannabis for adults.
Today, cannabis is a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States, with more than half of all states having legalized recreational and medicinal cannabis use, including major states like California and New York.
Despite this, racial minorities, particularly Black Americans, are disproportionately represented in marijuana-related arrests.
“This decision is monumental,” the NAACP civil rights organization stated on X. “Far too many Black Americans have fallen victim to a system designed for their demise.”
The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug complicates various aspects of the cannabis industry.
It hinders businesses from accessing banking services, limits federal funding for medical marijuana research, and prevents interstate commerce and federal regulation of best practices anSince 1970, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), placing it in the same category as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. Thisd protocols for marijuana.
The reclassification to Schedule III would enable companies to deduct their operating expenses from their taxes, which is currently prohibited.
Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin hailed Thursday’s decision, stating, “This will unlock important research on the medical efficacy of cannabis and bring about real change for legal operators.”
Follow us
