The head of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board said a decision by federal officials to recommend reclassifying cannabis as a far less dangerous drug is the most important cannabis policy change in the last 50 years.
The federal government has long considered cannabis to be what is known as a Schedule I drug — the same as drugs like heroin and ecstasy.
But the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it plans to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug — which puts it in the same category as anabolic steroids and Tylenol with codeine.
"This plant has been politicized and weaponized for various purposes over the years. This is the first time ever that the federal government has acknowledged these potential medical applications for it."James Pepper, Vermont Cannabis Control Board
James Pepper, chair of Vermont's Cannabis Control Board, said this change would not legalize cannabis at the federal level, but that it represents an important step.
"This plant has been politicized and weaponized for various purposes over the years," he said. "This is the first time ever that the federal government has acknowledged these potential medical applications for it."
Pepper said that rescheduling cannabis will open doors for much-needed medical research that's currently prohibited.
"There's both kind of symbolic importance and significance, and then also practical importance," he said. "This is starting to become mainstream, and we need to allow the research to happen to really back up these medical uses and see if there are any others."
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He said the reclassification would also provide tax benefits to cannabis businesses in Vermont. A cannabis executive told NPR that it would allow their businesses to be taxed more like businesses in other industries.
Pepper said he hopes the reclassifying process will finish by the end of the year. According to NPR, the timeline to a final decision is unclear.
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