Marijuana backers have proposed a change in federal regulations to help legalize pot in more states

As the U.S. government moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, there may be little immediate impact in the dozens of states that have not yet legalized cannabis for widespread medical or recreational use by adults.

But marijuana legalization advocates hope a change in federal regulations can ultimately change the minds — and voices — of some state policymakers who have been reluctant to embrace pot.