"In the US, drugs and other chemical substances are divided into a five-tier classification system, with Schedule I representing the most restricted tier and Schedule V the least. Marijuana was previously in the Schedule I category, where it was classed alongside potent narcotics like heroin and LSD. With Thursday's order, it would be fast-tracked down to Schedule III, in a class with ketamine and anabolic steroids."
"Trump said the change is not the legalisation of marijuana, and he added that it in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug. The change, however, will make it easier to conduct research on marijuana, as studies on Schedule III drugs require far less approval than for Schedule I substances. Speaking earlier in the week, Trump told reporters the change was popular because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify,"
"The change is in line with several states that have moved to legalise marijuana for both medical and recreational use. That has created a patchwork of state-level regulations at odds with federal law, wherein marijuana remains illegal. Former US President Joe Biden had taken several steps to lessen federal penalties related to marijuana, including a mass pardon for those handed harsh sentences for simple possession. Such convictions had disproportionately affected minority communities and fuelled mass incarceration in the US."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US attorney general to expedite federal reclassification of marijuana under the Drug Enforcement Administration. The order aims to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, placing it alongside drugs such as ketamine and anabolic steroids and removing its prior parity with heroin and LSD. The change does not legalize recreational use, but it lowers approval burdens and will make federally regulated research easier. The action aligns federal policy more closely with several states that allow medical or recreational use. The Biden administration had previously begun a Schedule III reclassification effort and issued a mass pardon for simple possession convictions.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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