The US Department of Health and Human Services has recommended lowering federal penalties and restrictions on marijuana by lowering its drug classification.
HHS suggested that the Drug Enforcement Administration reduce the devil’s lettuce from a Schedule I drug — a classification that includes heroin and LSD — to a Schedule III drug, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday.
“HHS has done the right thing,” Schumer said in a statement. “DEA should now follow through on this important step to greatly reduce the harm caused by draconian marijuana laws.”Schedule I drugs are classified by the DEA as substances that have no “currently accepted” medical use in the US, “a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.
The recommendation was applauded by several Senate leaders, but some said marijuana should be descheduled altogether — decriminalizing the widely-used drug. HHS suggested the Drug Enforcement Administration should lower marijuana as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug.“We enthusiastically welcome today’s news. … Rescheduling will have a broad range of benefits, including signaling to the criminal justice system that cannabis is a lower priority and providing a crucial economic lifeline to the cannabis industry,” the council said in a statement.
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