The US Department of Justice has decided to remove marijuana from the DEA’s High Potential for Abuse category, making its use a less serious federal crime.
.in_text_content_22 { width: 300px; height: 600px; } @media(min-width: 600px) { .in_text_content_22 { width: 580px; height: 400px; } }
On the recommendation of Attorney General Merrick Garland, marijuana should be moved to the list of drugs with a moderate or low potential for physical and psychological dependence, along with ketamine, Tylenol and codeine, Reuters reports.
Currently, as the agency notes, the punishment for using marijuana in the United States is comparable to the punishment for using hard drugs like heroin or LSD.
The Justice Department’s proposal has already been submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review and revision.
Current US President Joe Biden, who is actively campaigning, promised to reclassify marijuana in his 2020 election campaign.
In November 2020, Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin.
The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided in December 2020 to remove medical cannabis from the list of the most dangerous drugs in the world, such as heroin. The decision could pave the way for increased research and medical use of marijuana.
In a vote, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which is based in Vienna and includes representatives from 53 member states, considered a series of recommendations from the World Health Organization to reclassify cannabis and its derivatives. This focused on a key recommendation to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, where it was placed alongside dangerous and addictive drugs such as heroin.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.