President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I drug to the less severe Schedule III.
The executive order intends to expand cannabis research, and Trump made sure to note from the Oval Office that it in “no way, shape or form” is legalizing the drug nationwide.
The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the rescheduling process. It began under the Biden administration but it was unfinished by the time Trump took office earlier this year. The president hinted several months ago that he was willing to pick up the matter where former President Joe Biden left off.
“We have people begging for me to do this, people that are in great pain. For decades, this action has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems and more, including numerous veterans with service-related injuries and older Americans who live with chronic medical problems that severely degrade their quality of life,” Trump said Thursday.
Trump was joined by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Kr., who noted the issue of rescheduling marijuana has been long debated and there are “valid claims on both sides.” Kennedy noted how the drug can help those undergoing painful procedures and illnesses, but also acknowledged negative impacts like addiction.
The president cautioned Americans that it’s not safe to use drugs recreationally and that the order Thursday does not sanction marijuana for recreational use. It also does not change criminal penalties.
“Forty states and multiple U.S. territories have already recognized the use of medical marijuana,” Trump said. “This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments.”
A Schedule I drug is considered to have no acceptable medical uses. A Schedule III drug can have “moderate to low potential” for physical and psychological dependence, the Controlled Substances Act defines. Other Schedule III drugs include ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.
Trump was joined by several physicians in the Oval Office for the announcement, who all shared that the rescheduling of marijuana will aid their research in helping find out ways it could aid Americans, and also make new determinations about safety around the drug.
The announcement comes after Congress quietly re-banned a type of marijuana that had been legal nationwide for almost 10 years during the ending of government shutdown negotiations. The provision bans THC-infused beverages and snacks, which have become widely popular across the country.
Under the Biden administration, former Attorney General Merrick Garland formally recommended to the White House in April 2024 to move marijuana off the severe classification level and put it as a Schedule III drug.
Rescheduling the drug is different than descheduling it entirely, which some advocates have pushed for. Former President Biden campaigned in 2020 to decriminalize marijuana but did not do that before leaving office.