“This is monumental. Today my administration took a major step to reclassify marijuana from a schedule one drug to a schedule three drug. It’s an important move toward reversing long-standing inequities,” President Biden said in a video shared on social platform X.
“Today’s announcement builds on the work we’ve already done to pardon a record number of federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana. And it adds to the action we’ve taken to lift barriers to housing, employment, small business loans, and so much more for tens of thousands of Americans,” he added.
The Drug Enforcement Administration submitted a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on Thursday, triggering a 60-day public comment period. There is no set deadline to publish a final rule once the comment period closes.
Marijuana is still illegal under federal law. But a Schedule III designation will remove marijuana from being classified in the same category as heroin or LSD. The current Schedule I designation means the drug has no proven medical value and a high potential for abuse.
Complete decriminalization of marijuana could be accomplished through Congress with legislation removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act. Some Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are advocating for such legislation.
The announcement follows last month’s official recommendation from the DOJ to the White House to proceed with rescheduling.
Marijuana and drug policy experts have been underwhelmed by the White House’s aim of rescheduling, saying it doesn’t go far enough to address the issues surrounding marijuana’s criminalization. They argue there is no effort to deal with the disconnect between the federal prohibition and the fact that it’s completely legal in many states.
