DEA Moves To Reclassify Jazz Cabbage Under Schedule III

SAN ANGELO, TX - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the Biden administration, will move to reclassify cannabis under Schedule III, meaning its medical benefits will be recognized by the federal government, federal sources say.

The DEA’s move to reclassify cannabis must first be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and for the first time in 50 years, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis. 

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency will eventually publish the final rule.

This would not legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Since 1971, marijuana has been in the same category as heroin, methamphetamines, and LSD. Each substance under the Schedule I classification is defined as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Schedule III substances include Tylenol with codeine, steroids, and testosterone.

Schedule I substances are criminally prohibited under federal law because they possess a “high potential” for abuse and have no currently accepted medical use. 

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.