US eases access to marijuana for medical use

The US government on Thursday made it easier for Americans to use cannabis for medical reasons by reclassifying the drug and enabling more research into its safety and efficacy.

Marijuana is now described as having moderate to low addiction potential, “expanding patients’ access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” acting attorney general Todd Blanche said.

The government appears to be catching up with broad societal shifts in the United States — adult marijuana use for any reason is legal in 24 states and the US capital, and approved for medicinal use in 40 states.

Until Thursday, it was still ranked federally as “Schedule I,” a category for drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Punch