« No one should be in prison just for using or possessing marijuana, period. »*
US President Joe Biden
The US government officially launched a process on Thursday to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous substance. This turning point was expected, because the recreational and medical use of cannabis is already legal in 24 American states., report RTS.*
The US Department of Justice has proposed removing cannabis from Category 1 of substances considered at the federal level to be highly addictive and without legal use for medical purposes. Category 1 is the highest in the nomenclature and includes heroin, LSD and ecstasy.*
The government is now proposing to list cannabis in category 3, which concerns substances presenting a moderate to low risk of dependence. These include, above all, certain codeine medications.*
The proposal will be subject to decision by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).*
“This decision is monumental”
The official action by the American government in this matter is not a surprise, as initial information to this effect leaked at the end of April.*
The recreational and medical use of cannabis is legal in 24 American states. Added to this are several states in which its consumption is only authorized for medical purposes. But still being classified among the most addictive substances, this hemp derivative remains likely to result in federal prosecution for possessors or sellers.*
“This decision is monumental,” reacted Thursday the organization defending the rights of African-Americans NAACP on the social network X (formerly Twitter). “Far too many Black Americans have been victims of a system designed to be their downfall. We support the decriminalization of cannabis.”*
No legalization*
A reclassification does not necessarily mean legalization, but it would likely reduce the number of arrests at the federal level.*
“No one should be in prison just for using or possessing marijuana, period,” US President Joe Biden said in a video released Thursday.*
The change in category would also allow companies cultivating and marketing cannabis to be able to deduct their operating expenses from their tax base, which is prohibited today.*
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*** ndlr. : –.
