After 89 years of considering marijuana illegal and 56 years as a Schedule I-listed drug, the U.S. government is loosening its restrictions for states that have a medical marijuana program.
In a widely anticipated new rule announced April 23, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche placed state-regulated marijuana into Schedule III, which designates it virtually overnight as a less dangerous drug. Rescheduling will only affect states’ medical marijuana programs and highly controlled, Drug Enforcement Administration-authorized marijuana products already approved for activities like research.