U.S. Health Officials Recommend Schedule III for Cannabis
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to a less restrictive Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, following President Biden’s request last year for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and HHS to “expeditiously” reconsider the plant’s classification. In a letter dated Aug. 29, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine submitted the department’s rescheduling recommendation to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram, according to Bloomberg News . A DEA spokesperson confirmed the department received the letter and will initiate a review. After the review is complete, the nation’s top drug enforcement agency will forward its recommendation to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for action. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the DOJ and HHS were working through an independent process guided by evidence. “We’re going to let that pro...