The Food and Drug Administration has done a generally exemplary job of executing its mandate throughout its 118-year modern history. But the federal rescheduling of cannabis, which President Biden recently confirmed is moving forward, will pose unique challenges to FDA regulators.
The plan is to move cannabis from Schedule I, which includes drugs with “no currently accepted medical use,” such as LSD and ecstasy, to the less-dangerous Schedule III category, which includes drugs that have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”