There has been talk of "rescheduling" cannabis for years, a regulatory move that would significantly ease federal restrictions on the drug. Now, with a recent push from the White House to expedite the rescheduling process, we may see that change come to pass.
Moving cannabis to Schedule III — a less-restrictive classification for drugs — would represent a very important shift in how the federal government treats cannabis research, in that it would officially state that cannabis has medical use. This landmark decision would encourage some of the largest scientific investment in cannabis research to date and help build some of the strongest evidence of the value of cannabis-based therapies.
However, the move to Schedule III should be viewed as a transition rather than an endpoint.
How cannabis is regulated, today
Cannabis has existed in a complicated space in medicine, policy and public perception for decades.
More than 6 million Americans are registered to use cannabis through state medical programs. Clinicians participating...
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