Obama Says Congress Might Reschedule Marijuana If Enough States Decriminalize It

President Barack Obama this week said if enough states decriminalize marijuana, Congress might reschedule the drug. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, which is defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Other Schedule I drugs include LSD and heroin.

In an interview with Vice News, Obama said the divide between Democrats and Republicans on marijuana politics is narrowing, NPR reports. “What I’m encouraged by is you’re starting to see not just liberal Democrats, but also some very conservative Republicans recognize this doesn’t make sense, including sort of the libertarian wing of the Republican Party,” he said.

The American criminal justice system is “heavily skewed toward cracking down on nonviolent drug offenders,” Obama noted. He added the system has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color, while also being very costly for states.

Last week a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, which would reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule II drugs have a legitimate medical use but also have a high potential for abuse.