President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, recognising its legitimate medical uses. The move eases restrictions on research and certain federal regulations but does not legalise recreational use nationwide.
The reclassification shifts cannabis from the same category as heroin to one including ketamine, aligning it with prescription painkillers. The order also launches a pilot programme to reimburse Medicare patients for CBD products, a non-psychoactive cannabis compound. However, federal law enforcement policies on marijuana arrests remain unchanged.
Senior administration officials said the change still requires formal rule-making by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). If enacted, it would reduce tax burdens on legal cannabis businesses and improve their access to banking services, while facilitating medical research. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been directed to study long-term health effects of medical marijuana and hemp-derived cannabinoids.
Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml), welcomed the order as a validation of cannabis's medical utility but criticised it as insufficient, noting that 24 US states have already legalised recreational use. He said it “falls well short of the changes necessary to bring federal marijuana policy into the 21st century”.
Pew Research indicates 57% of Americans support legalisation for both medical and recreational purposes, while 32% back medical use only. The order does not affect criminal justice laws or alter the legal status of recreational marijuana at the federal level.
