Opinion: Drug cartels would love a lower-risk classification for marijuana

The Biden administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, which will foreseeably embolden Mexican cartels and Chinese legal growing operations to generate millions in profit while creating greater strains on law enforcement and increasing health-related risks, from severe depression to impairing psychosis. The Justice Department moved forward last month with the rulemaking process to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug, which includes substances with high potential for abuse such as heroin, to a Schedule III drug, which is defined as having “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence” and includes substances such as testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.