The US federal agency the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is considering changing the category of marijuana to classify it as a less dangerous drug, according to US sources.
The cannabis flower, which is currently classified as a Schedule 1 drug, in the same category as heroin and ecstasy, would be re-evaluated as a Schedule 3 substance alongside ketamine, steroids and testosterone, according to information obtained by ABC News.
The source revealed to the American media that the United States Department of Justice will send recommendations to the White House Office of Management and Budget which will review the dangerousness of marijuana.
It is a process that could extend over several months and even if the motion were to be accepted, it would not legalize the drug on American territory.
The change should, however, review how the government will manage the substance in terms of medical research and taxation.
Evolution of the perception of marijuana
US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter in 2022 that “it didn’t make sense” that marijuana was considered a more “dangerous drug than fentanyl”, as he called for a review of the drug’s consequences at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the American channel.
Mr. Biden also pardoned several people who have been convicted of marijuana possession since the start of his mandate.
This reclassification could also impact the charges of several other criminals who must serve prison sentences for possession of this substance.
Moreover, several dozen American states have already legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Colorado was the first to legalize the substance in 2012.
