HHS calls to move marijuana to lower-risk US drug category – Bloomberg News
2023.08.30 14:55
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO-Rachel Levine, nominated to be an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2021. REU
(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended easing restrictions on marijuana, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing a letter.
In the letter addressed to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) administrator Anne Milgram, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine asked for marijuana to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, according to the report.
Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug.
About 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains completely illegal in some states and at the federal level.
The DEA confirmed it had received a letter from the HHS providing its findings and recommendation on marijuana scheduling, pursuant to U.S. President Joe Biden’s request for a review.
“The administration’s process is an independent process led by HHS, led by the Department of Justice and guided by evidence … we will let that process move forward,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The HHS did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for a comment.
“As part of this process, HHS conducted a scientific and medical evaluation for consideration by DEA. DEA has the final authority to schedule or reschedule a drug under the Controlled Substances Act. DEA will now initiate its review,” according to a DEA spokesperson.
Cannabis firms such as Verano Holdings and Sunburn Cannabis welcomed the HHS move.
“For far too long, cannabis prohibition and its outdated status as a schedule I substance have unduly harmed countless individuals affected by the failed War on Drugs,” Veranos CEO George Archos said.
Shares of several cannabis firms including Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:), Tilray (NASDAQ:) Brands and Cronos Group (NASDAQ:) also rose.
