Proposal discussed does not legalize cannabis, but reduces restrictions, enables tax incentives to the sector and stimulates scientific research
The president of the United States, announced last Monday (11) that it is considering reclassifying the as a lower risk at the federal level. The decision, which according to the president can be made in the coming weeks, represents a significant change in drug policy in the country. Today, marijuana is classified as a drug of “Schedule I”, the most restrictive category, which includes substances such as heroin and LSD, considered of high abuse potential and without accepted medical use. The proposal aims to move cannabis to “Schedule III”, a category that covers drugs with recognized medicinal use and lower dependence potential, such as ketamine and testosterone.
“It’s a very complicated subject, you know, that of marijuana. I’ve heard great things about the [cannabis] Medicinal and bad things about almost everything else. But about medicine, for pain and various other things, I heard very good things, ”said Trump.
According to the White House, the change would not mean total legalization, but would facilitate medical research, reduce criminal penalties associated with possession and use, and expand tax incentives for industry. The initiative gained strength after a charity dinner where Trump would have received appeals from leaders from the sector, such as Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest cannabis companies in the country. The measure finds strong popular support, with research indicating that up to 90% of Americans are favorable to some form of legalization. However, it faces resistance from conservative sectors, which see flexibility as a social risk.
The news has already impacted the financial market, with actions of cannabis companies registering high expressive. The proposal follows a similar initiative of Joe Biden’s previous administration, which began, but did not conclude, the reclassification process. Trump pointed out that even with the federal change, states would maintain autonomy to legislate on the subject, a position they defended throughout his career.
*With information from Eliseu Caetano
*Report produced with the aid of AI
