India, April 23 -- The United States government on Thursday eased restrictions on the medical use of cannabis, reclassifying the drug to allow wider patient access and expand research into its safety and effectiveness.

Marijuana has been reclassified as having moderate to low addiction potential, "expanding patients' access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions," acting attorney general Todd Blanche said.

The drug was previously listed under Schedule I- a category reserved for substances with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," including heroin and methamphetamine, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

It has now been moved to Schedule III,...