​DEA to reclassify marijuana and ease restrictions in the US

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to reclassify cannabis as a lower-risk drug, according to The Associated Press.

If approved, it would mark the “biggest policy change” in the DEA’s 50-year history, AP News reports, and could have a ripple effect throughout the US.

As it stands, 24 of 50 US states have legalised recreational use of marijuana. Since 2014, the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment has prohibited prosecution of those complying with state cannabis laws.

The move to reclassify marijuana must still be passed through the White House Office of Management and Budget, but would not legalise cannabis outright if approved.

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The proposal would recognise the medicinal use of cannabis, AP reports, and highlight it as a lower-risk drug with less potential for harm than other drugs across the US.

In a statement released yesterday (April 30), the Justice Department’s director of public affairs Xochitl Hinojosa explained: “Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.

“Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”

Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance for more than 50 years, sitting in the same tier as drugs such as heroin and MDMA. If moved to Schedule III, it would sit in the same tier as drugs with medicinal benefits, including ketamine and testosterone.

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However, even once approved, the move would not come into effect for several months until the public has had a chance to comment.

Following the news yesterday, Louisiana congressman Troy A. Carter said in a statement: “This is a major milestone in our nation’s #DrugPolicy.”

He explained that it’s a “step in the right direction to bring justice to those who have been disproportionately convicted for marijuana usage”, adding: “It is time for reform and I look forward to these changes I have fought for.”

[Via Associated Press]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter