President Biden announces moves to relax weed restrictions

President Joe Biden is officially moving forward with plans to loosen federal marijuana restrictions.
He announced on May 16 that his administration plans to reclassify cannabis from the most restrictive category on the federal list of illegal drugs to a moderately restrictive category.
A recent national poll showed that 65 percent of 18- to 25-year-old likely voters expressed support for the administration’s recommendation to move marijuana to a less stringent classification under federal law, compared with just 14 percent who indicated opposition.
​Biden reiterated past statements that no one should be in jail for using or possessing marijuana.
“Far too many lives have been upended because of [our] failed approach to marijuana,” he said. “And I’m committed to righting those wrongs. You have my word on it.”
In announcing the move, DOJ published formal guidance laying out the reclassification, as well as a report from the agency’s Office of Legal Counsel detailing the rationale for the move.
Once the notice for rulemaking is posted in the federal registry, a 60 day comment period commences — the next step in the rescheduling process.