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President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to expedite the reclassification of marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a move that signals a significant shift in federal drug policy without fully legalizing cannabis.
The executive order issued Thursday directs the attorney general to take all necessary steps to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I substance—currently grouped with heroin and LSD—to a Schedule III drug, alongside medications like ketamine and certain anabolic steroids.
While marijuana would remain illegal under federal law, the reclassification could have far-reaching implications for the cannabis industry, medical research, and the alignment of federal policy with the more permissive approaches already adopted by many states.
“At the same time, the facts compel the federal government to recognize that marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered,” Trump said during a White House event announcing the directive.
The reclassification would represent a substantial change in how the federal government views cannabis. Schedule I drugs are defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, while Schedule III substances are recognized as having moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.
This action builds on efforts initiated during the Biden administration, when the Justice Department proposed reclassifying marijuana, generating nearly 43,000 formal public comments. That review process was still underway when Trump took office in January, prompting a re-examination of the policy.
For the cannabis industry, the change could deliver significant financial benefits. Currently, businesses involved in selling marijuana in states where it’s legal cannot deduct many standard business expenses on their federal income taxes because marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug.
Rachel Gillette, a Denver attorney who leads Holland & Hart’s cannabis industry practice, notes that reclassification could save cannabis businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes by allowing deductions for expenses such as advertising, marketing, rent, and labor costs associated with sales.
“I think the industry is willing to take whatever incremental steps they can in order to put themselves in a better financial position,” Gillette said.
However, critics like Kevin Sabet, CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former drug policy adviser under President Barack Obama, express concern that the change could accelerate marijuana use. “My worry is that we will supersize the commercialization of this industry, which is going to lead to more people using and more damage,” Sabet said.
The move comes amid evolving public attitudes toward marijuana. According to Gallup polling, support for marijuana legalization has grown substantially from just 23% in 1985 to 64% this year, though this represents a decline from 70% support two years ago. The decrease is primarily attributed to diminishing enthusiasm among Republicans, whose support dropped from 55% to 40% since 2023. By contrast, support among Democrats has remained relatively stable, shifting only slightly from 87% to 85% during the same period.
The executive order also faces opposition from within Trump’s party. More than 20 Republican U.S. senators, many of them Trump allies, had previously urged the president to maintain marijuana’s Schedule I classification, arguing that reclassification would undermine efforts to “Make America Great Again.”
The landscape of marijuana use in America has changed dramatically in recent years. Currently, 40 states and Washington, D.C. permit medical marijuana use, while 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana for adults. This expanding legalization has coincided with increased usage rates. According to a 2024 national survey by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 64 million Americans age 12 and older—22% of people—used marijuana during the previous year, up from 19% in 2021.
Trump emphasized that the reclassification would facilitate marijuana-related medical research, allowing for better studies of its benefits, potential dangers, and future treatments. The president noted that he has received numerous calls urging him to make marijuana more accessible for people struggling with health problems such as severe pain.
While the executive order represents a significant policy shift, the final reclassification still requires federal regulatory approval, meaning implementation could take time as the process moves through necessary administrative channels.
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10 Comments
This executive order signals a shift in the federal government’s stance on marijuana, but it still falls short of the comprehensive legalization many advocates have been pushing for. It will be worth monitoring how this plays out.
The reclassification could open the door for more medical research on the potential benefits of marijuana, which is a positive development.
Recognizing the medical applications of marijuana is important, but the federal government should go further and fully legalize the substance. This piecemeal approach leaves too much uncertainty.
While this order represents progress, true federal legalization of marijuana would provide more clarity and consistency for the industry and consumers.
The move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug is a step in the right direction, but more comprehensive federal legalization would be preferable. There are still many unanswered questions around the implications.
Aligning federal policy with the more permissive approaches adopted by many states is a positive development, though the full impact remains to be seen.
Grouping marijuana with substances like heroin and LSD has always seemed like an outdated and misguided approach. This reclassification is a step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go.
While this order doesn’t fully legalize marijuana, it does represent an acknowledgment of the drug’s potential medical applications. That’s an important milestone, even if more work remains to be done.
This is a significant shift in federal drug policy, though marijuana will still remain illegal under federal law. The reclassification could have major implications for the cannabis industry and medical research.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out, especially in states that have already legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use.