By Ricardo Lezama 
According to the Associated Press, the DEA has moved to reclassify Marijuana as a less dangerous drug which could send shockwaves in both the geopolitical sphere and the criminal underground as the drug will likely both plummet in immediate value, but also lead to less criminalization inside and outside of the US.
Immediately after, Marijuana stocks surged on the stock exchange now making the substance even more legal to trade with all the various applications now deemed relevant and legal. This is likely the biggest change in the agency’s history and speaks volumes as to the work of various legal and business groups hoping to change the antiquated stance of the group.
Next Steps
The White House must still review the issue, but if the DEA is willing to relent on this issue, it’s highly likely that the Biden administration will align its position to this fairly uncontroversial point. This would certainly help court a broad range of voters who are tired of one of these ‘forever’ wars that his raged on Black, Mexican and Hispanic communities within the US for decades now.
In fact, Biden has already made comments about the criminal records linked to Marijuana, so, really, the DEA was the last man standing on the issue. Most people in the US want prioritization of enforcement towards Fentanyl and this appears to be the march towards fully resourcing that issue even if just symbolically.