The US Department of Health recommends easing federal restrictions on marijuana by lowering its drug classification.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has recommended lowering federal penalties and restrictions on marijuana by lowering its drug classification.

HHS has suggested that the Drug Enforcement Administration reduce devil’s lettuce from a Schedule I drug – a classification that includes heroin and LSD – to a Schedule III drug, alongside ketamine and of certain anabolic steroids, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday.

“HHS did the right thing,” Schumer (Democrat of New York) said in a statement. “The DEA should now follow through on this important step to significantly reduce the harm caused by the draconian marijuana laws. »

The reclassification of the drug could facilitate, if not end, the criminal prosecution of weed users.

Schedule I drugs are classified by the DEA as substances that have no “currently accepted” medical use in the United States, “a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse. “.

However, marijuana is currently legal for medical use in 38 states and for recreational use by adults in 23, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Schedule III drugs “have less abuse potential than Schedule I or II substances and abuse can lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence,” according to the DEA.

The recommendation was applauded by several Senate leaders, but some said marijuana should be removed from the schedule altogether, decriminalizing the widely used drug.

The US Cannabis Council, a non-profit organization, also welcomed this recommendation.

“We enthusiastically welcome today’s news. … The rescheduling will have a wide range of benefits, including signaling to the criminal justice system that cannabis is a lower priority and providing a crucial economic lifeline for the cannabis industry,” the council said in a statement. .

With post wires