The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday it will immediately ease restrictions on some marijuana products and move faster to reclassify the drug as less dangerous, one of the biggest changes to U.S. drug policy in decades.
The move does not legalize marijuana throughout the United States, but it is likely to reshape the $47 billion industry, which has faced continued hurdles at the federal level, even as all but two U.S. states have legalized it in some form for medical use and about half have also legalized it for recreational use.
State-regulated medical marijuana products will now be moved from a group of drugs classified as highly addictive, such as heroin, into a less restrictive category for products that have low to moderate abuse potential, including common painkillers, ketamine and testosterone.
Marijuana products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would also be moved into that category.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch said the US government would also rapidly advance a sweeping effort to reclassify all uses of the psychoactive plant as less dangerous.
These measures are likely to lower barriers to research, reduce the tax burden and make it easier for companies to secure funding.
“This redefinition action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing better care to patients and more reliable information to doctors,” Blanch said in a statement.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s December executive order directing the Justice Department to loosen marijuana restrictions. – Reuters
