Marijuana reclassification proposed over lower public health risk, documents show
By Fenit Nirappil, David Ovalle and Dan Diamond
Updated January 13, 2024 at 9:45 a.m. EST|Published January 12, 2024 at 8:45 p.m. EST
The Department of Health and Human Services in August recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration change marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug. (Arin Yoon for The Washington Post)
Federal health officials determined marijuana poses a lower public health risk than other controlled substances and offers possible medical benefits before they proposed ending its designation as among the riskiest drugs, according to documents released Friday.
The extensive scientific review illuminates the rationale underpinning a recommendation last summer that marked a significant shift in how the federal government has treated a drug that is legal for a majority of Americans to purchase. This is the first time the Department of Health and Human Services has publicly acknowledged marijuana’s medical use.
The health agency in August recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration change marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug, a designation reserved for substances that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The classification has long been a source of criticism that one of the most commonly used drugs is in the same category as heroin and LSD. The DEA has yet to act on the recommendation.
Marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes in 38 states and D.C. Federal officials proposed classifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, in the same category as substances that can be obtained with a prescription such as anabolic steroids, ketamine and testosterone.
In the analysis conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, officials determined marijuana is less harmful than other drugs. The nation’s overdose crisis has reached staggering proportions, with opioids and other drugs killing more than 100,000 each year.
“Although abuse of marijuana produces clear evidence of harmful consequences, including substance use disorder, they are relatively less common and less harmful than some other comparator drugs,” the document said.
Federal officials previously declined to answer questions about their justifications for recommending rescheduling and released heavily redacted documents outlining their rationale in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Washington Post. Matt Zorn, a lawyer in Texas, first released the unredacted documents Friday in his newsletter after successfully suing HHS for their release. HHS confirmed the authenticity of the documents.
