Biden poised to ease marijuana restrictions

Pro-marijuana protesters hold a giant inflatable joint in front of Congress

The reclassification could lead to the "softening of other laws and regulations" surrounding cannabis

(Image credit: Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

published 1 May 2024

What happened

President Joe Biden is reportedly on the cusp of approving a historic reclassification of cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic alongside heroin and other hard drugs to a much more permissive Schedule III drug. The move will place marijuana alongside Tylenol with codeine and other drugs determined to have medical applications.

Attorney General Merrick Garland "circulated" the reclassification proposal Tuesday, and once it is approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget and "published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress," said Justice Department spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa. "Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the War on Drugs," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

The move is "significant" but won't decriminalize pot or "immediately address the growing chasm between federal law and the laws of most states," marijuana legalization lobbying group NORML said on X. The reclassification could lead to the "softening of other laws and regulations" surrounding cannabis, The New York Times said, including "sentencing guidelines, banking and access to public housing."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.