The Department of Justice has classified marijuana in the same category as Tylenol with codeine.
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The DOJ has officially reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug.
It was previously classified as a Schedule I drug, like heroin and LSD.
Schedule I drugs are defined by the DEA as substances that have no accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse.
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Other Schedule III drugs include Tylenol and Ketamine.
“I mean, it’s historic. It’s the first time that the United States government has recognized medical efficacy for cannabis,” Adam Smith, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said.
The reclassification would give dispensaries a big tax break.
They can claim federal tax reductions, meaning this could keep more dollars in our state.
State Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) said this also allows medical researchers to focus on studying cannabis.
“They were always afraid of losing their federal research because they were dealing in an illegal drug, and so now this gives them the ability to research and go out for grants to do research,” Huffman said.
CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John Lapook has been researching marijuana for decades.
He made it clear that the DOJ is not saying marijuana is safe for everyone to use.
“There are risks, including psychiatric, cognitive, there’s dependency that can happen. There’s a severe form of nausea and vomiting that can occur,” Lapook said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will also hold administrative hearings before a judge in June on reclassifying marijuana more broadly.
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