The US government is set to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug, a move with potentially far-reaching implications.
While nearly three-quarters of Americans live in a state where this drug is legal, this new federal classification, revealed by the press then confirmed by the Department of Justice, could have significant economic repercussions. It would encourage medical research on cannabis and alleviate a certain number of regulatory and fiscal constraints.
Category reclassification
According to an AFP Source close to the American authorities who requested anonymity, the Department of Justice will recommend Tuesday to the White House Budget Office to move cannabis from category 1, that of the substances considered as highly addictive and of no medical benefit, such as heroin, to category 3, in which certain codeine medications are found, for example.
The Minister of Justice has “circulated a proposal to reclassify cannabis” from category 1 to category 3, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement. This is a step in the reclassification process, which is expected to take some time. The White House declined any comment on this information first revealed by the American agency Associated Press.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, welcomed in a press release a decision “recognizing the need for a change in restrictive and draconian cannabis laws to accommodate what science and a majority of Americans clearly say”.
“Congress must do everything in our power to end federal cannabis prohibition and address long-standing ills caused by the ‘War on Drugs'” from the 1970s.
Clear Federal Convictions
President Joe Biden announced in October 2022 a series of measures to expunge the federal convictions of people sanctioned for simple possession of cannabis, thus removing obstacles they may encounter in terms of access to employment or housing. He also called on health and judicial authorities to rethink the penalties associated with marijuana.
In 2020 and 2022, the House of Representatives then dominated by Democrats adopted a bill aimed at removing cannabis from the federal list of dangerous drugs, but faced opposition from the Senate.
Following the legalization of cannabis in Canada in 2018, American Border Patrol agents began imposing lifetime bans on entry into the United States on Canadians who responded positively during checks to the question of knowing if they had already consumed it.
According to a survey released by Pew Research in March, 88% of Americans think marijuana should be legal, for medical use, for recreational use, or both. Twenty-four American states, plus the District of Columbia where the capital Washington is located, have already legalized cannabis, and 14 others authorize only medical use.
This institute calculated in February that 74% of Americans now live in a state where the substance is legalized either for recreational use or for medical use.
