USA is on the verge of a historic reform in its drug policy, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) preparing to change the classification of marijuana on the federal list of controlled substances. The proposal, which has yet to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge that it has less potential for abuse than some of the country’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not completely legalize marijuana for recreational use.
According to information revealed by Telemundo and corroborated by NBCNewsthis agency plans moving marijuana from a Schedule I substance, a category that includes drugs considered without accepted medical use and with a high potential for abuse, to a Schedule III, where drugs such as Tylenol with codeine, steroids and testosterone are found, which have a lower potential for abuse.
This change, which It occurs more than 50 years after the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act, is expected to have a profound impact on the cannabis industry and access to medical treatments based on this plant. According to Telemundo, The repositioning will allow greater reach for the investigation and the drug development based on cannabis, in addition to making it easier for pharmaceutical companies to participate in its distribution in those states where its medicinal use is legal.
The initiative of this entity still must overcome several bureaucratic stages before materializing. According to reports from NBCNewsthe organization’s plan is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budgetand later it will be subject to a public comment period before its final implementation.
The economic impact of this reclassification could be significant, given the enormous valuation of the cannabis industry in 34 billion dollars. NBCNews notes that This regulatory change could eliminate large tax burdens for companies linked to cannabis in states where it is legal, in particular, by modifying provisions such as the Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Service Codewhich currently restricts tax deductions to these companies.
From a social and political perspective, the Adjustment in marijuana classification reflects change in public perception about the use of this substance. According to Telemundo, nearly six in ten Americans support the legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. This change in perception has influenced politics, where there is a growth in bipartisan support for reforms in marijuana regulation.
A recent action taken by the president Joe Biden consistent with this trend has been the presidential pardon granted to people with convictions for crimes related to marijuana possession, reflecting an effort to correct the repercussions of the criminalization of cannabis. This measure, reported by Telemundoseeks to eliminate unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities faced by those with criminal records for marijuana use and possession.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been turned upside down because of our failed approach to marijuana. It is time for us to right these wrongs.”
Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become decriminalized and increasingly accepted, especially among younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found that 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who supported it in 2000.
In the legislative sphere, the United States Congress is evaluating proposals that promote the flourishing of legal cannabis businesses and that facilitate the expungement of criminal records for non-violent crimes related to this substance. Telemundo points to projects such as SAFER Banking Act and the HOPE Act as examples of this direction, both seeking a more effective integration of the cannabis sector into the American economy and society.
(With information from AP)
