WCVB NEWSCENTER 5 AT 530 THIS WEEK. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MOVED TO RECLASSIFY MARIJUANA AS A LOWER RISK SUBSTANCE. YEAH, MARIJUANA, AS YOU KNOW, IT’S ALREADY LEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS, BOTH FOR RECREATIONAL AND MEDICINAL USE. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THIS CHANGE IS INSIGNIFICANT HERE ARE SOME INSIGHTS. DOCTOR ALI RAJA, DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MGH. DOCTOR RAJA, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. THANKS, BEN. ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS CHANGE? SO, BEN, THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY BIG DEAL. SO WHAT THIS DOES, IS IT RECLASSIFIES THE DEA WOULD RECLASSIFY CANNABIS AS A SCHEDULE THREE MEDICATION INSTEAD OF THE SCHEDULE ONE THAT IT ALREADY IS. SO SCHEDULE ONE, DRUGS LIKE HEROIN, LYNN AND LSD AND METH, AMPHETAMINES, THEY’RE COMPLETELY OUTLAWED FEDERALLY, BUT SCHEDULE THREE MEDICATIONS. THEY HAVE MEDICAL USES BUT STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE. SO THIS WOULD TAKE MARIJUANA OR AND CANNABIS AND BASICALLY PUT IT INTO THE GROUP THAT TESTOSTERONE AND ANABOLIC STEROIDS ARE IN. OKAY. SO WITH ANY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, WHETHER IT’S ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, THERE ARE OF COURSE RISKS. SO WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHEN THEY HEAR THIS NEWS? THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. ERIKA. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN A LONG PROCESS. THERE’S GOING TO BE MONTHS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AND DEBATES. AND SO IF THIS HAPPENS, IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG TIME. WE’RE TALKING MANY MONTHS BEFORE THIS CHANGE ACTUALLY HAPPENS. AND BUT THE DEA IS DOING IT BECAUSE THERE ARE ACCEPTABLE MEDICAL USES OF CANNABIS IN THE US, AND BECAUSE THERE’S A LOW TO MODERATE RISK OF PHYSICAL DEPENDANCE. BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WITH ANY SUBSTANCE LIKE ALCOHOL OR CANNABIS, THERE’S STILL EFFECTS, SERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE BODY. SO YOU DON’T WANT TO DRIVE, SWIM OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY. AND ESPECIALLY YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR KIDS, ESPECIALLY AROUND GUMMIES OR EDIBLES, BECAUSE THEY’RE OBVIOUSLY TEMPTING. AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF KIDS WHO HAVE HAD SEVERE OVERDOSES BECAUSE THEY’VE GOTTEN INTO GUMMIES. AND QUICKLY. DOCTOR RAJA, FROM A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE, WOULD THIS CHANGE ANYTHING I MEAN, IT’S ALREADY USED MEDICINALLY AS YOU POINT OUT HERE AND IN ALMOST EVERY OTHER STATE AT THIS POINT. YEAH. BEN IT’S A GOOD QUESTION. THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT IT’S GOING TO BE IS THAT IT’S GOING TO ALLOW A LOT MORE MEDICAL RESEARCH TO HAPPEN ON CANNABIS, BECAUSE YOU REALLY CAN’T DO MUCH ON SCHEDULE ONE MEDICATIONS, BUT YOU CAN ON SCHEDULE THREE MEDICATIONS. SO THAT’S THE BIGGEST MEDICAL CHANGE THAT WILL HAPPEN. ALL RIGHT, DOCTO