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In a recent interview, former Attorney General Eric Holder said marijuana should be reclassified from its longtime Schedule 1 status under federal law.

(AP)

Eric Holder, the former U.S. Attorney General, said the federal government should remove marijuana from the same drug classification as heroin.

In a recent interview, Holder said marijuana should be reclassified from its longtime status as a Schedule 1 drug.

Said Holder: "I certainly think it ought to be rescheduled. You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now, and that clearly is not appropriate."

Schedule 1 drugs are defined as substances that have a "high potential for abuse" and "no currently accepted medical use." Research into marijuana is complicated by the drug's Schedule 1 status.

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Marijuana legalization advocates said Holder's message, while welcome, is overdue. They point out that as attorney general, Holder could have begun the process of rescheduling cannabis but failed to do so.

"It's nice to have Holder's support for this sensible policy change, but it would have been a lot better if he'd exercised the power to get marijuana rescheduling done while he was still in office," said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, a group that supports legalization.

In an emailed response to Holder's remarks, Angell said he hopes Holder encourages President Obama and current Attorney General Loretta Lynch to pursue rescheduling the drug.

"I would be absurd to keep passing the buck to Congress when federal law clearly gives the administration the power to act," said Angell.

-- The Oregonian