The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis but wouldn't legalize it for recreational use.

The proposal still faces a potentially, potentially lengthy review process, but if it's approved, it could have wide ranging effects.

Doctor Shana Babylon is is director of the Cannabis Center at the University of Kentucky.

Her team just wrapped up two studies involving medical cannabis.

She says this move by the federal government could make marijuana research easier.

So one of the barriers to some researchers is obtaining that schedule one drug license, holding drug and schedule one required facilities, administering it in a very controlled way similar to how you would have to administer heroin or fat now.

And so for people who are new to cannabis research, I think a lot of barriers will fall for with this reclassification.

Keep in mind that there are no FDA approved marijuana products available to prescribe.

And so because it's becoming schedule three doesn't mean that there's an FDA approved product to actually prescribe.

And so I think the main rationale for this change is to a to positively affect research and to have that research be conducted for several years before making further decision, as my understanding.

And Dr. Babylon, US is also getting ready to launch two new trials that are funded by the state.

One will look at the effects of medical cannabis on certain cancer patients and the other will look at daily doses and patients with pre-diabetes and obesity.