CANNABIS RECLASSIFICATION: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF MOVING TO SCHEDULE III
Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced a significant shift for the cannabis industry by moving to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III, acknowledging its medical benefits and lower abuse potential. This change, propelled by reviews from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), highlights cannabis’s role in medical treatments and urges further research.
Unlike Schedule I, Cannabis Schedule 3 classification allows FDA-approved drugs to be prescribed and dispensed legally, though it does not alter the federal status of non-FDA-approved cannabis sold in dispensaries. The process to finalize this reclassification involves public comments and hearings, pointing towards incremental federal reforms. While this doesn’t resolve all legal issues, as cannabis must be descheduled entirely for that, it eases some financial burdens and paves the way for potential congressional action aligning with broader legalization efforts and correcting the injustices of past drug policies.