July 24, 2026
From Pennsylvania College of Osteopathic Medicine
As federal officials continue to consider reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, Katherine E. Galluzzi, DO, CMD, FACOFP dist., a professor and chair of the department of geriatric and palliative medicine and director of comprehensive care at PCOM, says the proposal could remove one of the greatest barriers to rigorous medical cannabis research.
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I is the most restrictive category of controlled substances. It includes drugs that the federal government considers to have a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use, making them subject to stringent research requirements and regulatory oversight. Put more simply, Schedule I drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, and others) are illegal. Schedule III drugs, by contrast, are recognized as having accepted medical uses and can be studied under a less burdensome regulatory framework.
