Biden administration wants to reclassify marijuana. What does that mean for Ohio?

The Biden administration plans to change how marijuana is classified, a move that would ease federal restrictions around the drug Ohioans just legalized for adult-use.

But don't expect rescheduling to change how Ohio's program will work.

A spokesman for the Division of Cannabis Control said marijuana would become a Schedule III substance under state law if it changes at the federal level. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug with no recognized medical use, which puts it in the same category as heroin and LSD. But as a Schedule III, marijuana would still be treated as a controlled substance under Ohio's new recreational program.

"This reclassification, should it take place, would have no impact on Ohio's non-medical cannabis program," spokesman Jamie Crawford said.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will accept public comment on the rescheduling after the plan is approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Associated Press reported. Marijuana would still be illegal at the federal level, even as states like Ohio approve it for medical and adult consumption.

Rescheduling won't affect public marijuana rules

Recreational marijuana has been legal in Ohio since December, but sales won't start until this summer at the earliest. The division is still finalizing the program's rules and must clear them with a legislative panel, which is scheduled to meet later this month. Applications for growers, processors and dispensaries must go out by June 7, and the division has until September to award licenses.

The federal change in scheduling also wouldn't affect Ohio's rules for public consumption. Smoking marijuana falls under the state's smoking ban, and businesses with liquor licenses can't allow the use of any controlled substance on their property.

The Division of Liquor Control issued a statement Wednesday urging Ohioans to contact their local investigative unit if they suspect marijuana use at a bar or restaurant. License holders who violate the rule could face an administrative citation.

"By ignoring the law, bars, restaurants and any other liquor permit holders are putting their license in jeopardy," interim superintendent Paul Kulwinski said. "We urge liquor permit holders throughout the state to do everything possible to ensure their premises is a marijuana-free zone."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What reclassifying marijuana means for Ohio recreational program