The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration on marijuana policy, and Senate leaders on Wednesday called it a first step toward easing federal restrictions on the drug.

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that his agency has responded to President Biden’s request to issue a marijuana scheduling recommendation to the DEA.

We made sure that a scientific evaluation can be completed and shared quickly. he added.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said in a statement that Health and Human Services had recommended moving marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance.

HHS did the right thing, Schumer (DN.Y.) said. DEA should now take this important step to significantly reduce the harm caused by draconian marijuana laws.

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Rearranging the drug would reduce or even eliminate criminal penalties for possession. As a Schedule I drug, marijuana is currently classified alongside heroin and LSD.

According to the DEA, Schedule I drugs “currently have no accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.”

Schedule III drugs are less likely to be abused than Schedule I or II drugs and abuse can lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. They currently include ketamine and some anabolic steroids.

Biden sought a review in October 2022, as he pardoned thousands of Americans convicted under federal law of simple possession of marijuana.

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Senate Treasury Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued a statement calling for the complete elimination of marijuana.

However, HHS’s recommendation to reintroduce cannabis as a Schedule III drug is not insignificant,” he added. If HHS’s recommendation is ultimately implemented, it will be a historic step for a country whose cannabis policies are out of touch with reality.

Bloomberg News first reported on the recommendation from the Health and Human Services Department.

In response to the Bloomberg report, the nonprofit US Cannabis Council said: We welcome today’s news with enthusiasm. … Rescheduling will have a wide range of benefits, including signaling to the criminal justice system that cannabis is a lower priority and providing a critical economic lifeline for the cannabis industry.