May 16, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Easing marijuana restrictions takes first step forward at Justice Department

Sareen Habeshian

Illustration of the United States seal holding a marijuana leaf instead of an olive branch. — Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it has taken the next step to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug under federal law.

Why it matters: Initiating the process to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to a less dangerous Schedule III drug is the first step to make the major policy change President Biden announced last month a reality.

Zoom in: The Attorney General submitted a proposed rulemaking to the Federal Register that launches the formal process to consider reclassifying marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, the Justice Department said

Until a final rule is published, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance, per the DOJ.
The proposal must be formally published in the Federal Register and go through a public comment period before it can take effect, a process that can take a year or more.

What they're saying: "This is monumental," President Biden said in a video posted on social media Thursday.

"It's an important move toward reversing longstanding inequities," he continued. "Far too many lives have been upended because of failed approach to marijuana and I'm committed to righting those wrongs."

Zoom out: Schedule I drugs, including heroin, LSD and ecstasy, are considered to have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," per the DEA.

Schedule III drugs, meanwhile, have "a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence," which includes Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.

Go deeper: Biden gives cannabis industry a badly needed win

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Easing marijuana restrictions takes first step forward at Justice Department

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