Senators seek to legalize medical marijuana at the federal level

Medical marijuana

Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) plan to introduce a bill on Tuesday that would legalize medical marijuana at the federal level.

The legislation would nix Washington's ban on medical pot while reclassifying the drug from a Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 substance under federal guidelines, according to The Washington Post. As a Schedule 1 drug, marijuana ranks alongside LSD and peyote as substances with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." Downgrading its classification would put marijuana in line with cocaine and methamphetamine.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.