DOJ advances plan to classify marijuana as less dangerous drug

The Justice Department formally started the procedure of classifying marijuana as a less dangerous substance, moving toward a major change in US drug policy. 

The agency submitted a rulemaking notice on Thursday to shift marijuana’s legal status to Schedule III from Schedule I, the first step in what could be a lengthy process. A 60-day public comment period will begin, after which the Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department will make a final decision whether to remove marijuana from the list of the most-dangerous drugs. 

President Joe Biden said in a video posted to social media the notification was “an important move towards reversing longstanding inequities.”

“Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana and I’m committed to righting those wrongs,” Biden said. 

The notice advances the Biden administration’s goal of easing marijuana policy in order to align it more with the public as more Americans support legalizing the drug. Still, reclassifying marijuana will not decriminalize it, and there are still many steps to go before the move is finalized.   

The Department of Health and Human Services endorsed rescheduling earlier this year, but the DEA “has not yet made a determination as to its views of the appropriate schedule for marijuana,” according to the notice. 

The notice follows a plan announced last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland to change the drug’s categorization. 

Read More: ‘Rescheduling’ Marijuana? What Would That Mean?: QuickTake 

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