DEA change could help researchers learn about weed's therapeutic effects

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency will reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III narcotic, putting it in a class of controlled substances that have legitimate medical benefits. Right now, weed is listed as a Schedule I drug, putting it with meth, heroin, and other drugs that the federal government says have no legitimate medical use.

According to one analyst, it's a move that's nearly four decades in the making.

"It is very good to see the federal agencies moving to a more realistic schedule," Kevin Caldwell, southeast legislative manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, said to WWL's Tommy Tucker. "Even back in 1988, the DEA's chief administrative judge, a gentleman named Francis Young, ruled that marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

Caldwell says this ruling could open the door for more research into how cannabis can help people recovery from injuries and illnesses.

"As a Schedule I substance, it was very hard to get DEA approval to do any kind of study on cannabis that did not just focus on the negative impacts," Caldwell said.

Caldwell also noted that the new rule could provide more access to quality weed to researchers. According to Caldwell, researchers may only work with weed grown at the University of Mississippi. That cannabis, Caldwell says, has had quality issues recently.

"Several researchers returned it and chose not to move forward," Caldwell said. "What we hope is that researchers will be able to use medically-grade cannabis that is available in 38 states currently."

While the new rule would allow doctors to prescribe weed as medicine legally, don't plan to be able to smoke it willy-nilly.

"It does not legalize cannabis by any means," Caldwell warned.

Caldwell says the DEA's decision is the first step in a process to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. Next up in that process: the Office of Management and Budget will review the new rules. According to Caldwell, the earliest the reclassification can take place is August, but he expects the reclassification to happen later than that.