US Poised to Ease Restrictions on Marijuana in Historic Shift, But It'll Remain Controlled Substance

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation's most dangerous drugs.

However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. The proposal would move marijuana to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule. Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.