The US Justice Department on Tuesday decided to make marijuana use a lesser federal offence, in a move to remove the drug from the category that includes heroin that could change cannabis policy across the country, US media reported.
Justice Department spokesman Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement:
“The US Attorney General sent a proposal to the White House to re-classify marijuana.”
It comes after Joe Biden became the first president to initiate federal consideration of the issue in 2022. The issue is seen as a potential vote-winner for Mr Biden, who will face Republican Donald Trump in a difficult rematch in this November’s election, especially among young people who the incumbent Democratic president is trying to win over to his side.
Since 1970, marijuana, along with heroin, ecstasy and LSD, has been classified as a so-called “Schedule I” drug, meaning it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Under the proposal, however, it would be downgraded to a Schedule III drug, along with drugs such as ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, with a moderate to low likelihood of addiction, Ms. Hinojosa said in a statement.
“This is the next step in the formal rescheduling process,” a source familiar with the issue told AFP. The process would still require a long period for public comments and finalisation.
Commenting on the impending move, Paul Armentano, deputy director of the advocacy group NORML, said:
“It is significant for these federal agencies, to acknowledge publicly for the first time what many patients and advocates have known for decades: that cannabis is a safe and effective therapeutic agent for tens of millions of Americans.”
However, he stressed that re-classifying the substance is not a sufficient step and it should be removed from the Controlled Substances Act altogether, which would require legislation.
A Pew Research Centre poll last month found that 88% of Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use. Only 11% said it should not be legal at all.
