The Trump administration has officially moved to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, more than four months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the move. The change, signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday, places marijuana in the same category as ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone, rather than alongside heroin, LSD and synthetic opioids.
Blanche said in a post on X that the Department of Justice was 'delivering on President Trump’s promise to improve American healthcare', adding that the reclassification would enable 'more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and efficacy'. The move comes days after Trump signed an executive order to speed a review of psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which remains in Schedule I.
At the signing of that order, Trump complained that federal officials were 'slow-walking' the process of rescheduling marijuana, telling off-camera officials: 'You’re going to get the rescheduling done, right, please? Will you get the rescheduling done, please?' The reclassification does not immediately legalise marijuana; it remains illegal under federal law for recreational use, and is still subject to banking restrictions due to anti-money laundering laws. Transporting Schedule III drugs across state lines without authorisation is also generally illegal.
Marijuana-legal states have built huge surpluses, leading to a crash in wholesale prices known as the 'ganja glut'. Republican operative Roger Stone recently told Marijuana Moment it was 'vitally important' to get the reclassification done before the midterm elections, citing its appeal to young and libertarian voters. The announcement follows the firing of Pam Bondi as attorney general three weeks ago; she was replaced by Blanche, who had promised 'careful consideration' of reclassification.
Most Americans support easing restrictions: an Economist/YouGov poll found 53% of adults backed legalising marijuana, including 35% of Republicans. A NuggMD survey reported 83% support for Trump’s executive order on marijuana.
