An anonymous Drug Enforcement Administration lawyer dropped a bombshell on Monday by declaring the agency is planning to bring marijuana down to a Schedule II drug, which would essentially make medical cannabis legal with a doctor’s prescription in all 50 states.

The Santa Monica Observer, which broke the story, reported that the move will take place on Aug. 1, while the Denver Post reported it could take place as soon as July 1. The Los Angeles-based DEA attorney said that “whatever the law may be in California, Arizona or Utah or any other state, because of Federal preemption this will have the effect of making THC products legal with a prescription, in all 50 states.”

The attorney disclosed that money and public opinion is playing a role in the decision. They acknowledged that “marijuana enforcement is a big drain on DEA resources” and that more than half of Americans support medical marijuana. 

By dropping to Schedule II, marijuana will fall into the same category of drugs as Percocet, Oxycontin and Adderall. The anonymous insider speculated that medical marijuana clinic owners will likely oppose the move because users will no longer have a reason to visit their facilities.

"In my opinion, CVS pharmacy, Rite-Aid and Walgreens will sell Schedule II THC products similar to what users call 'edibles,' but will not sell smokable weed because of the health risk smoking anything entails," the DEA lawyer allegedly told the Observer.

The current Schedule I classification of marijuana puts it in the same category as LSD and heroin, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical benefits. However, a reclassification could bring about an era of “evidence-based” medical marijuana use. By reclassifying cannabis, it will be easier for researchers to conduct more studies on the plant and examine its benefits and drawbacks for a much wider range of conditions.

“If the DEA is willing to put science ahead of ideology and set policy accordingly, as President Obama has often said his administration would behave, they have no choice but to reschedule marijuana,” Tom Angell, founder of Marijuana Majority, told The Fix in April.

The DEA has previously rejected petitions to reclassify marijuana in 2001 and 2011.

However, many remain skeptical of this anonymous source. The Houston Chronicle claims a DEA statement from Monday afternoon addresses the single-source Observer report, effectively denying that the agency has reached a decision on whether to reclassify marijuana.

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