Step is latest example of shift away from heavy penalisation that has given way to widespread legalisation efforts.By Reuters and The Associated PressPublished On 23 Apr 202623 Apr 2026The United States has announced it will reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a step in line with a growing trend away from penalising its possession.The Department of Justice clarified on Thursday that the change does not legalise recreational or medical marijuana under federal law.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listBut it does move certain marijuana products from the Schedule I category to the less restrictive Schedule III on the federal government’s five-tier system for regulating drugs.Schedule III is for substances with “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”.“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.Advocates of looser restrictions have long argued that placing marijuana in the same category of highly addictive drugs as heroin has led to disproportionate rates of arrest and incarceration.They also point to the medical benefits that some patients describe from marijuana usage, as well as lower barriers to marijuana-related research.Blanche has previously said that the US government would fast-track the process for a broader reclassification of marijuana, with hearings set to begin in June.Once the focus of law enforcement efforts that swept millions of people into the US criminal justice system, marijuana has gradually seen more mainstream acceptance in recent years. Advertisement In December, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling on the Justice Department to loosen marijuana restrictions. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden had taken similar steps …
