DEA wants to ease restrictions on marijuana, South Florida doctor explains what that means
MIAMI The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration could ease restrictions on marijuana, saying they will reclassify it as a less dangerous drug.
"This is great news," said Dr. Michelle Weiner, who is involved in cannabis and psychedelic treatments for patients. "We have 50 million people who are in chronic pain, we have one person dying every 38 minutes of opioid overdose, so this is an outlet for people to have another substitute to help them decrease their medication and make them feel better."
It's also a historic shift to decades of American drug policy, the DEA's biggest policy change in more than 50 years.
South Floridians are divided on the proposal.
"A while ago they used to put two fried eggs in a pan, and they used to say this is your brain on marijuana," said a man who chose not to identify himself but still sees marijuana as a lethal drug.
"In adolescents, I see that marijuana could be like a gateway drug into other drugs," said Laura Budnechky, a nurse at Baptist Hospital, who added that she sees both sides of the argument.
The plan is to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III drug alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids.
"I think it's pretty fair, a lot of people need it for medical reasons and people are functional when using this drug," said Budnechky.
Nick Garulay, CEO and founder of My Florida Green, is on a mission to make medical marijuana easier to access. He has more than 40,000 patients in the state.
"Federal employees are scared of losing their jobs if they use medical marijuana, it's still schedule one drug, it's federally illegal," said Garulay. "If it is reclassified to a schedule three drug, then it will definitely create some great opportunities for legitimate medical marijuana facilities."
Dr. Weiner said recreational use has nothing to do with it, "this is completely using it as a medicine."
The D.E.A. proposal is not final, it must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget and then they will take public comment on the plan to make a decision. The process could take months.