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Amid an ongoing review to reschedule cannabis to a low-risk drug category, some officials within the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have raised concerns over such a move, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
In August, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended the DEA move cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, alongside medications such as Tylenol and ketamine.
Drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, such as heroin and ecstasy, are currently included in Schedule I with cannabis.
The DEA confirmed its review in January in response to a letter from a group of lawmakers who urged the agency to consider the merits of marijuana legalization as part of its review.
However, some DEA officials have raised concerns over scheduling, citing modern cannabis strains, which can be far more potent than those commonly available in the past, people familiar with the matter said.
Some have noted that the drug’s therapeutic benefits remain unproven, and it has a high potential for abuse. Others have argued that more studies are required to evaluate the long-term health benefits of marijuana.
According to the U.S. law, the DEA can reschedule marijuana only if it has scientific evidence to prove the drug’s medicinal benefits. Any agency decision will be subject to a period for public comments.
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