The elephant in the room amongst many U.S. Health Regulators is the growing argument of whether the federal government should loosen the restrictions on cannabis. To impose such a suggestion would be to ask the DEA to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I status to a more tolerant Schedule III. If regulators reclassify, cannabis will no longer be classified as a controlled substance; however, the substance itself would still be illegal recreationally.
The reschedule of cannabis to Schedule III would permit an easier gateway for scientists and researchers to conduct studies. Recent studies from independent sources reveal a significant reduction of chronic pain from various ailments. With the reclassification, researchers and scientists will further be able to study the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, leading to improved medicine and treatment of millions of people worldwide.
To date, nearly forty states permit medical or recreational use of cannabis. Although illegal on a federal level, some states have sanctioned cannabis legal for medicinal purposes. Colorado was the first state in the U.S. to sanction the sale of cannabis in 2014. Since, several other states have joined in legalizing the substance for recreational use.
The Biden Administration is in favor of and urges federal drug officials to lift restrictions on cannabis. President Biden recently made a formal request to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue the recommendation to the DEA for reclassification of cannabis.
“The president has always supported the legalization of marijuana for medical use, he has been consistent about that along with medical and scientific evidence,”
Karine Jean-Pierre ~ White House Press Secretary
Although talks are preliminary, the reclassification of the current Schedule I classification would be a monumental shift in the medical sector. The implications would be groundbreaking. While many argue the negatives on such a move, the sentiments from millions of Americans pay in favor of the move.
