The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy.
The move comes after a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department, which launched a review of the drug’s status at the urging of President Joe Biden in 2022.of people convicted federally of simple possession of marijuana and has called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase convictions.
The notice of proposed rulemaking submitted to the federal register kicks off a 60-day comment period followed by a possible review from an administrative judge, a potentially lengthy process. The available data reviewed by HHS shows that while marijuana “is associated with a high prevalence of abuse,” that potential is more in line with other schedule III substances, according to the proposed rule.
Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.