But now, federal health officials have recommended reclassifying marijuana, giving some hope that this could be a crucial step toward national legalization.
However, the Department of Health and Human Services has sent its findings on marijuana to the DEA, reportedly recommending that it be reclassified as a Schedule III drug. That classification means the substance has a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
Other Schedule III drugs include ketamine and anabolic steroids.
While it sounds promising, not much has actually changed for marijuana. It will take some time for the DEA to make any decision on reclassifying weed. And even if it is reclassified, marijuana would still be a controlled substance, subject to federal rules and regulations.
It also would not immediately be legalized for recreational use on the federal level. Rescheduling marijuana does not decriminalize marijuana, either.
Nearly two dozen states have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults. Thirty-eight states have also legalized marijuana for medicinal use.
Among the latest to legalize are Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Missouri.