Illinois Governor JB Pritzker praised the Biden administration’s efforts to reclassify marijuana, with the Department of Justice officially making the move on Thursday.
Officials say the rule change would move marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, along with ketamine and specific forms of anabolic steroids.
President Joe Biden discussed the decision in a social media post Thursday, criticizing the “failed approach” to regulating the drug.
Pritzker, who signed marijuana legalization in Illinois during his first term, had a succinct reaction to the news.
“Finally,” he said.
The president made this official announcement on his social networks, criticizing the “failed approach” to regulating the drug.
“The Department of Justice is taking the next step in reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug under federal law,” he said. “No one should be imprisoned simply for using or possessing marijuana. Today’s announcement builds on the work we have already done to pardon a record number of federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana.
The plan, approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland, does not legalize marijuana outright, according to NBC News, but instead begins a 60-day comment period, followed by possible review by a judge.
Schedule III drugs are still considered “controlled substances” under federal law, with penalties in place to prohibit unauthorized trafficking.
According to DISA, a company specializing in drug testing services, a total of 38 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, while 24 have allowed it for recreational use, including Illinois.
NBC Chicago
