Louisiana pulls out of marijuana reclassification lawsuit against Trump administration

Louisiana will no longer be part of a lawsuit other states have filed to stop the Trump administration reclassification of medical marijuana as a less harmful drug.

Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a petition Friday with the federal court in Washington, D.C., to pull Louisiana out of a case that her counterparts in Nebraska and Indiana had brought against the U.S. Department of Justice. It argues that the administration went around the typical rulemaking process for changing a drug’s classification. 

Murrill’s office declined to comment on her choice to drop out of the case.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in December to increase research for medical marijuana. In line with that directive, the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Agency are moving to classify medical marijuana and related products as Schedule III drugs. The designation is for substances with accepted medical uses that have a low to moderate risk of dependency.

The federal government deemed marijuana a Schedule I drug when the Controlled Substances Act was enacted in 1970. The classification meant marijuana had no approved medical uses and was thought to have a high potential for addiction. 

States typically follow the federal government’s lead on drug classifications and law enforcement policy, though medical marijuana is now legal in 42 states and Washington, D.C. Louisiana approved medical uses for marijuana in 2015, though recreational weed remains illegal in the state. 

The Drug Enforcement Agency will hold a hearing June 29 to outline an expedited process to update medical marijuana’s classification.