President Joe Biden’s administration will soon announce interim rules that will reschedule marijuana from its strict Schedule I classification to Schedule III, multiple sources told NBC News.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) expected to approve Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) opinion seeking reclassification, NBC News reportsaid, citing multiple sources.
In August, Biden’s Health Department secretary, Rachel Levine, sent a letter to DEA Secretary Ann Milgram asking for reclassification, saying the drug has the potential to relieve pain. Levine also argued that it has a lower potential for abuse than other Schedule I drugs.
Schedule I drugs, including cocaine and LSD, are “defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” according to To the D.E.A. Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol, ketamine, and testosterone, are drugs with “intermediate abuse potential.” (Related: Exclusive: 50 senators and congressmen press Merrick Garland on Chinese Communist Party’s ties to marijuana rise)
The decision reportedly comes as Biden is losing support among black voters.wall street journal poll A poll released in April found support for Biden has declined among Black voters compared to 2020.
Latest election poll of black voters (WSJ). It’s not good news for Biden. pic.twitter.com/VbbIOqQDo9
— HarleyDF (@HarleyDF) April 12, 2024
The reported upcoming move will be the first time marijuana has been reclassified since the Controlled Substances Act of 1971.
BREAKING: Biden administration plans to reclassify marijuana and ease regulations nationwide, officials say @NBCNews. https://t.co/scuWG7FgSB
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 30, 2024
Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had already legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. according to To Pew Research Center. An additional 14 states have authorized medical use of the drug.
Pew October 2022 Survey found Eighty-eight percent of Americans approve of some form of marijuana legalization.
