Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is on the verge of a significant shift in the United States. After years of being classified as a high-risk drug, cannabis may soon be rescheduled, loosening federal restrictions and marking a major step toward broader legitimacy. Here’s what you need to know about the potential changes and their impact.
Highlights
- The History of Cannabis
- Federal Classification of Cannabis
- Medical Potential of Cannabis
- Verdict of marijuana usage worlwide
The History of Cannabis Criminalization
Cannabis wasn’t always viewed as a dangerous drug. In the 1800s and early 1900s, it was widely used as a medicinal remedy in the U.S. However, in 1937, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, effectively criminalising its use and sale. This marked the beginning of strict regulations that have remained in place for decades.
In recent years, however, the legal status of marijuana has changed dramatically at the state level. Starting in 1996, many states have legalized marijuana for medical use, and today, recreational use is legal in more than 20 states. Despite these changes, cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I drug at the federal level.
Federal Classification of Cannabis
Under the Controlled Substances Act, cannabis is currently a Schedule I drug, meaning it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Other drugs in this category include heroin and LSD. This classification has long restricted research and medical use of cannabis across the U.S.
However, President Joe Biden has called for a review of cannabis’s classification, with an eye toward moving it to a less restrictive category. If cannabis is reclassified to Schedule III, it would be viewed more like drugs such as anabolic steroids, which are still controlled but considered to have medical benefits.
The Rescheduling Process
Rescheduling cannabis is not a simple process. It involves multiple federal agencies, including the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In 2022, President Biden officially requested the shift. HHS has already found credible scientific support for the use of cannabis in treating certain medical conditions, including chronic pain.
Medical Potential of Cannabis
The idea that cannabis can be used safely and effectively in a medical context is gaining support. According to Dr. Staci Gruber, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, cannabis has been shown to help people with certain types of pain. “We have seen individuals cut down on their use of opioids on their own after starting cannabis treatment,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the Chasing Life podcast.
Gruber’s research highlights cannabis’s potential to offer an alternative to opioids for pain management, a crucial area of focus given the ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 50,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2019 alone. With research suggesting that cannabinoids can help reduce opioid use, cannabis could play a key role in addressing this crisis.
What Rescheduling Could Mean?
If cannabis is rescheduled as a Schedule III drug, it would allow for more research and expanded medical use at the federal level. It would also ease restrictions on cannabis businesses, making banking and insurance access easier. While cannabis would still be regulated, this change could pave the way for broader acceptance and integration of cannabis into modern medical practices.
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Cannabis’s journey from a once widely accepted medicine to a criminalized substance may soon come full circle, offering new possibilities for patients and researchers alike.