FDA To Reconsider Marijuana’s Schedule 1 Status

U.S. health officials are conducting an analysis on whether marijuana should be reclassified under federal law.
The DEA has asked the Food and Drug Administration to carry out a review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug, a FDA official revealed during a congressional hearing on Friday.
The FDA will evaluate whether marijuana still meets the Schedule I criteria, which considers cannabis to be highly dangerous with no medical use.
The classification is the harshest of the five DEA drug schedules and comes with the most restrictions. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD and MDMA.
The FDA previously reviewed marijuana’s status in 2001 and 2006, both times concluding that it should remain in Schedule I.
However, with 23 states allowing marijuana for medical purposes, many feel it is time for federal restrictions around marijuana to be loosened.
In a post on its website on Friday, the agency noted:
“Although the FDA has not approved any drug product containing or derived from botanical marijuana, the FDA is aware that there is considerable interest in its use to attempt to treat a number of medical conditions, including, for example, glaucoma, AIDS wasting syndrome, neuropathic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and certain seizure disorders.”
The FDA will consult with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Department of Health and Human Services before presenting a final recommendation to the DEA.
The FDA has not yet given a timeline for its decision.
[Bloomberg]