Will DEA Reclassify Marijuana?

(Summer 2016) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced recently that by June 30 it will decide on the issue of reclassifying marijuana under federal law. Currently, the drug is listed as a Schedule I drug, along with LSD and heroin. Schedule I drugs are viewed by the DEA as substances having the greatest risk of abuse and no accepted medicinal value. Although reclassification of marijuana would not make it legal, it could open the doorway for easier research on the drug and lessen penalties for marijuana-related charges.

The consideration for reclassification was initiated with a letter penned by eight Democratic senators. They requested that the federal government make it easier to research the benefits of medical marijuana.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted a study regarding the safety and effectiveness of marijuana for medical purposes. Taking that data into account, the FDA passed along its opinion for rescheduling to the DEA. A letter from the DEA to the Democratic senators did not reveal the FDA’s recommendation.

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