A review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports reclassifying marijuana as less risky drug and backing it as a medical treatment, reports Medical Xpress.

The newly released research suggests FDA scientists have found that marijuana has less potential for abuse than other drugs with the same restrictions and it should be reclassified as a less dangerous drug, reports Medical Xpress. It also backs using marijuana as a medical treatment. Currently, the drug is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, putting it in the same category as heroin and LSD.
According to the latest FDA documents, the agency recommends changing the classification of marijuana because it has a lower potential for abuse than other Schedule I and II substances, it has an accepted medical use and a low or moderate risk of physical dependence in people who abuse it. These findings were backed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, according to the documents.
The research shows that marijuana does not trigger the same outcomes as other drugs such as heroin and that there is some scientific support for some of the therapeutic uses for which marijuana is being used in clinical practice in the United States, including anorexia, pain, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, reports Medical Xpress.
So far, twenty-four states, two territories and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for recreational use and 38 states have allowed cannabis for medical use, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.