DEA considering removing cannabis from most dangerous drugs category by 2nd half of 2016

Recreational drugs, such as marijuana and ecstasy, are slowly moving from being the cause of problem especially among the youth to having medicinal value. As more states and nations pass legislation allowing medical cannabis, another US agency is considering removing the weed from its list of the most dangerous drugs.

The New York Daily News reports that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would likely decide by the second half of 2016 if it would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug to Schedule II.

Current DEA definition of Schedule I drugs are those “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” There are six drugs in Schedule I. These are heroin, lysergic diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone and peyote.

Schedule II are drugs “with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.” There are 11 drugs on Schedule II, including cocaine, meperidine or Demerol, and oxycodone or Oxycontin.

There are three more schedules – III, IV and V which includes ketamine, Valium and Lyrica, respectively.

Even if 58 percent of Americans, according to a 2015 Gallup poll, favour the legalisation of weed for recreational use, pot remains illegal under federal law. Its reclassification from Schedule I to II would not legalise marijuana’s status for recreational use nationwide, but it would facilitate research on weed’s effects, both medical and non-medical.

The University of Mississippi has the DEA approval to raise marijuana for research purposes which the university made 20 shipments to eight researchers in 2015, Huffington Post reports. Medical marijuana is allowed in 23 states and recreational in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.