News brief

Marijuana poised for lesser classification in U.S. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The White House Office of Management and Budget will review the Justice Department proposal. It would recognize the medical use of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some other drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move.

Ten years after individual states began legalizing marijuana, signs of a shift in perspective surface.