Marijuana reclassification proposed over lower public health risk, documents show [View all]
Federal health officials determined marijuana poses a lower public health risk than other controlled substances and offers possible medical benefits before they proposed ending its designation as among the riskiest drugs, according to documents released Friday.
The extensive scientific review illuminates the rationale underpinning a recommendation last summer that marked a significant shift in how the federal government has treated a drug that is legal for a majority of Americans to purchase. This is the first time the Department of Health and Human Services has publicly acknowledged marijuana’s medical use.
The health agency in August recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration change marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug, a designation reserved for substances that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The classification has long been a source of criticism that one of the most commonly used drugs is in the same category as heroin and LSD. The DEA has yet to act on the recommendation.
Marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes in 38 states, while the Food and Drug Administration has not offered an endorsement. Federal officials proposed classifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, in the same category as substances that can be obtained with a prescription such as anabolic steroids, ketamine and testosterone.
https://wapo.st/48xQ7k3
Long overdue.
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