Marijuana could be reclassified as a less dangerous drug

President Donald Trump signed an executive order that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and allow for more opportunities for research and access to CBD.

Trump signed the executive order on Dec. 18. The change is not immediate, as it still needs to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, a public comment period must be provided and potential review hearings by an administrative judge must be held.

Currently listed as a Schedule I drug among substances like heroin, LSD and ecstasy, the order would move marijuana into a class III schedule, which includes codeine, ketamine and anabolic steroids.

“Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website. “Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”

Medical marijuana has been legal in the State of Hawai‘i since 2000. Attempts by state lawmakers to legalize the drug for recreational use have stalled. Cannabis was decriminalized in 2019.

In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency that marijuana be controlled under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The recommendation from the department included a determination that medical marijuana has a currently accepted medical use after research showed that more than 30,000 licensed healthcare practitioners across 43 United States jurisdictions were authorized to recommend the medical use of marijuana for more than 6 million registered patients to treat at least 15 medical conditions.

“It is the policy of my Administration to increase medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors,” Trump stated in the executive order. “It is critical to close the gap between current medical marijuana and CBD use and medical knowledge of risks and benefits, including for specific populations and conditions.”