The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently confirmed that they’re in talks with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regarding the potential rescheduling of marijuana. The move may come sooner than many expect, according to a DEA official.
In August the HHS sent a letter to the DEA officially requesting marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing it for prescription use across the country. The letter came in response to a 2022 request by President Biden for the government to research and consider rescheduling marijuana.
Earlier this month the DEA sent a letter to congressional lawmakers informing them that their review of marijuana as a schedule I drug is currently underway, while noting that the agency has “the final authority” when it comes to any rescheduling effort.
Now, an official at the DEA tells us that the agency is “on track for rescheduling to happen before the end of summer. Most likely in August.”
The official asked to remain anonymous, and we were not able to verify their statements, but we were able to independently verify that the individual does in fact work for the DEA.
The individual says that the DEA has never seriously considered anything but a move to Schedule III, as requested by HHS, and that a rescheduling announcement “could come even sooner” than the summer.
Earlier this month Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser led a group of 12 state attorneys general on a letter encouraging the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act in the interest of public health and safety.
In September congressional researchers released a report stating that the DEA is “likely” to reschedule marijuana, with many believing it will be done prior to the 2024 presidential election.
A nationwide poll released earlier this month found that a strong majority of American voters support rescheduling marijuana, and if the government does so this year it will give President Biden a large favorability jump.
