Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra confirmed his agency has responded to President Biden's directive to provide scheduling recommendations for cannabis to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
What Happened
A top official at the HHS wrote to DEA administrator Anne Milgram calling for marijuana to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, according to a letter dated Aug. 29 seen by Bloomberg News.
This move represents a critical shift from cannabis's status as a Schedule I substance, which deems marijuana as not having any medical benefits and places the plant in the same category as high-risk drugs like heroin.
"I can now share that, following the data and science, HHSGov has responded to POTUS’ directive to me for the Department to provide a scheduling recommendation for …