SPOKANE, Wash. — Local marijuana dispensaries are celebrating the federal government’s decision to reclassify medical marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3.
Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered marijuana moved from the same category as heroin to a classification similar to prescription drugs like Tylenol and codeine.
The reclassification will make it easier for medical researchers to study marijuana and improve patient access to marijuana-based treatments.
Lucky Leaf, a downtown Spokane dispensary, expects the change to benefit patients most in need.
“We have a lot of cancer patients that come in because we’re so close to the hospital. Those are some of our favorite to help because it really does mean a lot and it’s the people that need it the most,” said Mitchell Lowe, general manager of Lucky Leaf.
Lowe expects medical marijuana-certified dispensaries may qualify for federal tax breaks under the new classification.
“If they’re medically endorsed, there’s going to be some big tax breaks. I just think in general; it’s just baby steps in the right direction. As long as the consumer and the medical patients are looked after, at the end of the day, that’s what matters,” Lowe said.
The federal government has scheduled hearings for June to address recreational marijuana’s legal status.
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