The federal government didn’t legalize marijuana. Here’s what actually changed.
The Justice Department reclassified marijuana as a Schedule III drug, a shift that affects research and taxes but not legalization
The federal government has changed its view of marijuana’s dependence and abuse risks, causing some confusion about what that means for Americans.
Like heroin, ecstasy and LSD, marijuana was formerly classified as a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use and high potential for abuse. Marijuana will now be regulated alongside drugs considered to have legitimate medical applications such as Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids.
Related Knowledge Center: Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.