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(Washington) Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous addictive substance, a decision intended to encourage medical research without immediately opening up to decriminalization at the federal level.
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The American president assured that “people were begging (him)” to make this decision, referring in particular to people suffering from chronic pain.
“The decree that I am going to sign is in no way a decriminalization” of marijuana for uses other than medical, he clarified.
This is a “common sense” decision, said a senior government official in an exchange with the press.
She recalled that marijuana and products based on CBD (a molecule extracted from cannabis known for its relaxing properties) were already used by patients suffering from chronic pain.
“Almost one in four American adults have chronic pain, and more than one in three elderly people,” according to this senior official, who assured that Donald Trump’s decision would also allow more research to be done on the risks of dependence linked to these substances.
She indicated that a certain number of beneficiaries of health insurance for those over 65 (or Medicare) would also have free access to CBD products in the future.
While nearly three-quarters of Americans live in a state where this drug is legal, this new federal classification could have significant economic repercussions, by easing constraints on businesses growing or marketing cannabis.
Former Democratic President Joe Biden pushed for such a measure, but the change failed to come to fruition.
In detail, marijuana must move from category 1, the highest in the nomenclature, to category 3.
Category 1 includes heroin, LSD or ecstasy, while category 3 includes substances with a moderate to low risk of dependence such as certain codeine medications.
This proposal will nevertheless be subject to the decision of the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
