Not quite. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) currently classifies weed as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and methamphetamines. Under that category, marijuana doesn’t have an accepted medical use and is considered to have a “high potential for abuse.” Now, federal officials are aiming to downgrade marijuana to a Schedule III substance, like ketamine and steroids.
What would change?
The policy refresh wouldn’t make pot legal at the federal level. But it could open the door to more marijuana studies and research, potentially loosening restrictions on medical marijuana prescriptions. The reclassification could also give weed businesses a major tax break and more access to banking services.
What are people saying?
Analysts say the federal government’s potential change represents an attitude shift toward weed — especially for the war on drugs, which has disproportionately affected people of color. Cannabis advocates say they hope the reclassification could be the first step toward federal legalization. Meanwhile, others say officials need to regulate weed like alcohol.
What’s next?
The White House will likely sign off on the proposal, then it goes through a public comment period before it's reviewed by a judge — which could take months. President Biden might be looking to hail it as a big win ahead of the November election.
theSkimm
For years, federal weed policy has stayed stagnant despite evolving cultural attitudes and the legalization of marijuana in dozens of states. Now, the new change stands to be the federal government’s most significant update in over 50 years.
Former President Trump’s. Yesterday, the judge in Trump’s hush money trial fined the former president $9,000 for contempt of court and threatened to jail him for repeatedly violating a gag order. Trump has been barred from making public statements about possible witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or their families in the case. Last month, prosecutors flagged 10 posts they said violated the gag order. Now, the judge has fined Trump for nine of the posts and ordered them removed from Truth Social and his campaign website. Trump said the judge took away his free speech rights and that he’s “the only Presidential Candidate in History to be GAGGED.” He’s also the first former president to face a criminal indictment. The judge said he would consider additional penalties for other statements tomorrow.
Where tensions are growing…
Columbia University. Last night, dozens of New York police officers in riot gear descended on the university and arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian student protesters. The arrests came after demonstrators occupied a building on campus, prompting university officials to call in the NYPD. In a statement, Columbia said it was left “with no choice” and would not risk “the potential for further escalation.” Meanwhile, others criticized the university, with one New York congressman condemning Columbia’s “militarization” of its campus. The NYPD said it cleared the occupied building and denied reports that it used tear gas during the arrests. Officers are expected to remain on campus until at least May 17.
What should be done sooner rather than later…
Mammograms. Yesterday, an influential US task force recommended that all women start getting screened for breast cancer every other year, starting at age 40. That’s a change from previous guidance, which said that most women wait until age 50. The task force says the additional screenings could potentially save about 20% more lives. The move comes amid rising breast cancer rates among young women. Doctors applauded the decision to lower the age. Still, other health experts say the new recommendation doesn’t go far because it doesn’t call for yearly breast exams or endorse additional screenings for women with dense breast tissue, which can make cancer harder to detect.
Why influencers are throwing shade…
Youthforia’s new foundation. Black beauty influencers are calling out the makeup brand’s darkest foundation for essentially being jet black with zero undertone and have likened it to black face paint. The backlash comes after Youthforia received criticism last year for not being inclusive.
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