Report: U.S. government to allow more research on marijuana

The leaves of a marijuana plant.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to announce Thursday that while the U.S. government will allow more research into marijuana, it will not be reclassified from its current status as a Schedule 1 drug, sources tell The Guardian.

The decision is a response to a petition filed by two former state governors in 2011. Schedule 1 drugs, including heroin, LSD, peyote, and ecstasy, have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," and the petition asked that marijuana be reclassified as a drug that does have accepted medical uses. In 25 states, marijuana can be used for medical purposes, and in four states, recreational use for adults is legal.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.