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“7 stories to know” is a new Monday series showcasing stories that may have been ignored in the crush of news over the past few weeks, and stories that have continued to evolve over the weekend. Expect to read coverage about health, science, and climate that frequently take second chair to what’s happening at the top of the page, plus information from local sources that the national media may have overlooked.
1. Reclassifying marijuana
At the moment, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug. These are drugs that the Drug Enforcement Administration describes as having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. That description seems completely at odds with a substance that is currently available for medical use in 38 states.
Not only is marijuana regularly used to treat everything from chronic pain to eye diseases and depression, but studies have also found it’s considerably less addictive than most illicit drugs. In fact, pot is less addictive than nicotine or alcohol.
It’s been obvious for a long time that marijuana is incorrectly classified. It should not be in the same category as heroin, mescaline, and meth. But somehow, no one has gotten around to fixing a mistake that was made when a frenzy over the perceived dangers of marijuana resulted in this assignment in the 1970s.
Last Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland submitted a proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget that would move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, putting it in the same class as anabolic steroids, testosterone, and ketamine. Tylenol is also a Schedule III drug.
As NBC News reports, the DEA is expected to approve this change based on a favorable recommendation by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Not only would this allow scientists to—for the first time—conduct research about potential health benefits (or harms) from using marijuana while receiving federal funding, but it would also mean an end to harsh penalties faced by those in the military where the use of pot, even in states where it’s legal, results in thousands of involuntary discharges each year.
While President Joe Biden has twice pardoned former military members who were discharged for marijuana use, even admitting past use can keep someone from serving.
Reclassifying pot as a Schedule III drug won’t automatically solve these issues, and it won’t allow states to begin treating marijuana the way they do beer. But it’s a step in the right direction.
