EXCLUSIVE: Cannabis Researcher On Marijuana Rescheduling — ‘Removing Barriers’ Will Help, But ‘Knowledge Gap’ Is Huge
After five decades of being classified as a Schedule I substance, cannabis is on the brink of reclassification. President Joe Biden‘s mid-May announcement to officially move marijuana to Schedule III was met with collective joy in the industry, especially among cannabis researchers and scientists.
The change – now in the DEA’s 60-day public comments period – could greatly benefit this important scientific field, which has faced daunting hurdles due to marijuana’s classification as a dangerous substance along with the likes of heroin and meth.
All that began to change in January 2024 when the federal government released hundreds of pages of documents confirming for the first time ever that cannabis “has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”
Scientist Weighs In: ‘Removing Barriers Can Only Help’
Dr. Robert Strongin, professor of organic chemistry at Portland State University, says he’s cautiously optimistic. “As far as research and the new scheduling plans, I am hopeful that this will facilitate research.”
However, “The gap between the prevalence of cannabis use and what we now know about the potential harms and/or benefits continues to …