America is moving closer to legalizing marijuana. It's about time.

President Joe Biden’s administration is taking a huge step in the right direction by potentially changing how marijuana is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

It’s about time.

Marijuana is already legal in some capacity in 38 states, plus Washington, D.C., but its prohibition at the federal level has made it almost impossible for dispensaries and other businesses to work with banks and has made it difficult to research its medicinal uses.

For many people, marijuana is more than just getting stoned – it has reportedly benefited folks suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, seizures and an array of symptoms. With the news of a possible reclassification, it seems the United States is finally acknowledging that the benefits may outweigh the concerns.

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The DEA's reclassification of marijuana

The DEA, according to The Associated Press, is planning to take public comment on its plan to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, which would put it in the same drug class as steroids and testosterone.

Now, weed is considered a Schedule I drug – putting it in the same regulatory class as heroin and LSD.

If everything goes according to plan, this will open the door for cannabis to be prescribed as medicine nationwide. It isn’t legalization, but it’s a step toward a reality that has overwhelming support from the general public.

For more 50 years, marijuana has been considered a Schedule I drug because of an alleged lack of medical value and high possibility of abuse.

This classification has been called into question repeatedly because of how it restricts research and stigmatizes the drug. Cocaine and meth are considered Schedule II substances – meaning these drugs were thought to have more medicinal value than cannabis.

Lots of things have changed since the scheduling system was implemented in 1970, including (slightly) more proof that marijuana has medicinal value, even though studying its benefits has been made more difficult by the federal outlawing of weed. But perhaps the most important change has been how Americans see marijuana.

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Marijuana acceptance has grown

For years, polling has shown that the American public supports legalization. A January Pew Research Center survey found that 88% of U.S. adults think weed should be legalized in some capacity.

That same survey shows a sharp increase in support for legalization over the past two decades.

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A recent Gallup poll found that half of adults in this country have used it themselves, and that 17% use it presently. About a quarter of those ages 18-34 say they smoke marijuana, but the rate falls to 18% among those ages 35-54 and to 11% among those 55 and older.

It’s clear that there has been growing support for new marijuana regulations, but the federal government has been slow to make changes that would open the door for legalization.

It is frustrating to know that we are just now recognizing that this drug could help people with a range of symptoms, but it’s good that we are finally here. The reclassification is a huge step in the right direction for the Biden administration and shows a surprising commitment to moving toward decriminalization.

In 2022, the administration pardoned thousands of people who were convicted of simple marijuana possession at the federal level. Hopefully, a change in classification will also lead more states toward medicinal legalization and more state-level pardons.

At most, I hope it means that we continue moving away from simple possession convictions altogether.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DEA moves to reclassify pot, a long-supported step toward legal weed