U.S. HHS Confirms It Favors Moving Cannabis To Schedule III Status
January 16, 2024The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed on Friday what has long been expected in the cannabis industry, that it favors moving cannabis to Schedule III status alongside drugs like ketamine and testosterone, from its current Schedule I positioning, which places it with drugs like heroin that are deemed to have no medical use and high potential for abuse.
The disclosure came in response to a Freedom of Information request from Texas lawyer Matthew Zorn and acknowledges that HHS sees viable therapeutic uses for cannabis, such as for pain, anorexia, and nausea from chemotherapy, while finding that while cannabis does cause physical dependence it does not produce serious outcomes at the same rate as Schedule I or II drugs. It now falls to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to make the final determination on reclassification, with a decision expected from the agency within months.—Daniel Marsteller
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