DEA Proposes Reclassifying Marijuana as Schedule III Drug

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous — but still restricted — drug. 

The Details: The DEA's proposal, which has yet to be finalized and will undergo a 60-day review period, suggests moving marijuana from its Schedule I narcotic status — alongside heroin and LSD — to Schedule III, which covers drugs such as ketamine and codeine. The policy change has spurred reactions in the cannabis industry, and several marijuana stocks rose by up to 25%. The rescheduling would allow more research and formal prescriptions, as well as letting cannabis companies deduct business expenses on their taxes.

For Context: Marijuana was previously banned under the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, but President Joe Biden called on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to review how marijuana is scheduled in October 2022. In August 2023, the HHS concluded that marijuana holds certain acceptable medical benefits.

How the Media Covered It: News coverage was common across the spectrum, with several mainstream outlets rated Lean Left and Center publishing analyses of the policy’s consequences on Wednesday. Coverage of the DEA’s critics varied across the spectrum, seemingly regardless of partisanship. While Republican politicians are more likely to oppose marijuana legalization, the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) only mentioned critics who wanted fewer restrictions. On the other hand, AP (Lean Left bias) covered critics on both sides. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology