Federal scientists recommend easing restrictions on marijuana
Marijuana is not as risky or prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and should therefore be removed from the nation's most restrictive drug category, federal scientists have concluded.
The recommendations are included in a 250-page scientific review provided to Matthew Zorn, a Texas lawyer who sued Health and Human Services officials for the release and published it online Friday evening. An HHS official confirmed the document's authenticity.
The data sheds light for the first time on the mindset of federal health officials considering a momentous change. The agencies involved have not publicly commented on their debates over what amounts to a decriminalization of marijuana at the federal level.
Since 1970, marijuana has been considered a so-called Schedule I drug, a category that also includes heroin. Schedule I drugs have no medical use and a high potential for abuse, and carry severe criminal penalties under federal human trafficking laws.
The documents show that scientists from the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse have recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration make marijuana a Schedule III drug, along with ketamine and testosterone, which are available by prescription.
The study by federal scientists found that even though marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug, “it has no serious consequences compared to Schedule I or II drugs.”
Marijuana abuse does lead to physical dependence, the analysis shows, and some people develop psychological dependence. “But the likelihood of serious consequences is low,” the review concluded.
The review also said there is some “scientific support” for therapeutic uses of marijuana, including the treatment of anorexia, pain, and nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy.
Federal officials cautioned that their analysis was not intended to suggest that they had determined the safety and effectiveness of marijuana in a way that would support FDA approval, only that the data supported certain medical uses of marijuana.
These conclusions apparently led the FDA to break decades of precedent and advise the Drug Enforcement Administration to recategorize marijuana, a move reported in August by Bloomberg News.
That recommendation is being considered by the DEA, which is expected to formally announce its decision within months. The redistricting will be subject to public comment and debate before it is made final.