President Joe Biden’s administration will soon announce an interim rule to reschedule marijuana from the strict Schedule I classification to Schedule III, multiple sources told NBC News.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is expected to approve an opinion from Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting the reclassification, NBC News reported, citing multiple sources.
Biden’s HHS Secretary Rachel Levine sent a letter to DEA head Anne Milgram asking for the reclassification in August, citing the drug’s potential for easing pain. Levine also claimed it had less potential for abuse than other Schedule I drugs.
Schedule I drugs, which include cocaine and LSD, “are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the DEA. Schedule III drugs, which include Tylenol, ketamine and testosterone, are drugs with “intermediate abuse potential.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: 50 Senators And House Members Press Merrick Garland On CCP Ties To Marijuana Grows)
The reported decision comes at a time where Biden is losing support among black voters. A Wall Street Journal poll released in April found a decrease in support for Biden among black voters compared to 2020.
Lastest election poll of black voters (WSJ). Not good news for Biden. pic.twitter.com/VbbIOqQDo9
— HarleyDF (@HarleyDF) April 12, 2024
The reported forthcoming move would mark the first time marijuana gets reclassified since the 1971 Controlled Substances Act.
BREAKING: The Biden administration plans to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions on the drug nationwide, sources tell @NBCNews. https://t.co/scuWG7FgSB
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 30, 2024
24 states, plus the District of Columbia, had already legalized marijuana for recreational use, according to Pew Research Center. An additional 14 states allow medical use for the drug.
An October 2022 survey from Pew found that 88 percent of Americans approved of some form of marijuana legalization.