A series of documents from US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) officials published Jan. 12 make clear the department's recommendation that cannabis be reclassified to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, allowing cannabis to be prescribed by medical professionals. Officials wrote that the basis for the recommendation is the "currently accepted medical use" of the plant.
The recommendation from HHS was sent by way of a letter to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) director Anne Milligram, and it is the DEA that will make the final decision on the issue, subject to the approval of President Joe Biden.
Currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, cannabis is considered under federal law to have no permitted uses. Despite that status, several states throughout the US have adopted some form of cannabis legalization—either medical or adult-use programs.
The documents were provided via a FOIA request to lawyer Matt Zorn, following a legal battle. Zorn, who posted the documents via his blog "On Drugs," said he claimed "100% credit" for forcing the release of the files for public inspection.
MarijuanaMoment reported that release of a decision from the DEA is imminent, which could place pressure on the Biden administration to expedite plans to federally legalize cannabis, in some form, during the 2024 election campaign.
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