US: Department of Health recommends moving cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act

TheDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS), a federal agency of the United States of America, recommended to the DEA — Drug Enforcement Administrationthat cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This was confirmed by Bloomberg News, who had access to the letter, dated yesterday, August 29, sent by the HHS Health representative, Rachel Levine, to Anne Milgram, administrator of the DEA, who will have the final say.

The recommendation comes after the HHS completed a scientific review on cannabis, under a directive from US President Joe Biden. A DEA spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg News that the DEA has received the letter and that it must now begin its own review to decide whether to approve or reject the cannabis reclassification.

This step represents a breakthrough in cannabis policy in the US, as it reveals that the main health agency no longer considers cannabis as “a drug with a high potential for abuse and without any medicinal value”, as referred to in Table I of the Law of Controlled Substances, which also include heroin, ecstasy or LSD. Schedule III substances, such as ketamine, are considered “less dangerous” and can be obtained legally with a prescription.

The HHS recommendation is not binding, leaving the DEA with the final decision, but it is believed that with the positive trend in the US political scenario, the reclassification may happen. Joe Biden would add one more achievement before next year's election, and the taxes that cannabis companies pay could drop significantly. Cannabis advocates also say the reclassification would be a recognition by the federal government that cannabis has legitimate uses and would be a step on the road to greater acceptance and availability of plant-based products. Yesterday and today, the shares of several companies in the cannabis sector rose considerably, according to the report of Bloomberg.