DEA to decide soon whether to stop classifying marijuana like heroin

Agency says ruling could be made by July as timetable is the latest
development in Senator Elizabeth Warren’s challenge to federal
marijuana laws

Amanda Holpuch in New York
Thursday 7 April 2016 22.52 BST

The Drug Enforcement Administration said it could decide whether marijuana should remain classified at the same level as LSD and heroin in “the first half of 2016”.

The agency slipped this news into a letter to the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, who with seven other senators, had asked for more information on marijuana’s scheduling and about limits on medical marijuana research. The 25-page letter was obtained by Matt Ferner at the Huffington Post.

Because marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, it cannot be used in research and cannot be dispensed in pharmacies. Its use is also more restricted than drugs in the four lower classifications, which include cocaine and meth – Schedule II controlled substances.

And while medical marijuana is federally prohibited, it is legal in 23 states and Washington DC. This means marijuana dispensaries and growers acting within state law can be raided by authorities. In California’s so-called “Emerald Triangle”, medical marijuana farmers accused law enforcement of “running amok” with “commando-style” raids.

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