DEA wants to declassify marijuana as less powerful drug like Tylenol
ALAMEDA, Calif. - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration wants to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
Right now, cannabis is a Schedule I drug, just like heroin.
"Marijuana is so far away from heroin," said Savid Davis, a medical marijuana user in the Bay Area who uses cannabis for "enjoyment, pain relief, a way to get through the day, and a way to see it."
The DEA doesn’t currently consider Schedule I drugs to have any medical use.
The new classification would downgrade pot to Schedule III, the same level as Tylenol with codeine.
For the team at Park Social, a dispensary in Alameda, changing the schedule is a step in the right direction for the remaining states where marijuana is still prohibited.
"Like, you know, how they say milk is, like bad for you now, but back in the day they’re like, it's strong for your bones, and now we’re hearing the hard truth," Lindsay Tautalatasi, a self-described Budtender told KTVU. "It’s the same thing with marijuana. They want to say it’s a gateway drug."
William Manning vapes to get relief from back pain and trouble sleeping.
"They would be much better off probably taxing the holy crap out of it and treating it like it's alcohol, where it’s regulated and completely legal throughout the country," Manning said.
According to the ACLU, there’s a racial disparity when it comes to marijuana crimes, with Black people being nearly four percent more likely to be arrested than whites.
Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of Oakland calls reclassifying marijuana a major deal for businesses but believes there’s more work to be done.
"The only way to remedy the most concerning consequences of marijuana prohibition is to deschedule marijuana altogether."
Many are quick to point out that this is an election year and that this could boost President Joe Biden’s support at the polls, especially with younger voters.
The DEA's proposal would not legalize marijuana for recreational use across the country yet.
It still needs to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
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