The fight to reclassify Marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance reached a new milestone on April 23. The executive order was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Under federal law, Schedule I substances are viewed as highly addictive with no medical value, whereas Schedule III substances have an accepted medical use with low addiction likelihoods. As it stands, the order applies to 40 states where cannabis is medically legal.
In December, the Trump administration stated that they wanted to reclassify cannabis,a feat that has been largely left unmaterialized in recent months.
According to the order, the new classification applies to cannabis that is FDA approved, and cannabis that is controlled by state-licensed medical marijuana programs. The order paves way for cannabis researchers that want to study recreational cannabis and cannabis-derived cannabis. Medical dispensaries are also able to deduct expenses on federal taxes. Ideally, the administration claims to strengthen cannabis research in states where cannabis is legal.
While the new ruling is a stepping stone into cannabis justice, cannabis remains federally illegal. Removing cannabis from the controlled substances list could be a cohesive way to target the ways in which cannabis justice could truly be reached within this country.