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President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under U.S. law. But it does change the way it’s regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.What it meansThe move could loosen restrictions on medical use and scientific research, though reclassification is not the same as legalization.Marijuana remains a federally controlled substance, and criminal penalties could still apply for possessing, using or selling it, especially in states where it remains illegal.Axios and The Washington Post were first to report the administration’s intentions to reclassify the drug. In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Drug Enforcement Administration to consider moving marijuana from Schedule I, alongside heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, a category that includes drugs such as ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone. Blanche said Thursday that the Department of Justice was “delivering on President Trump’s promise” to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said in a statement.Blanche’s action largely legitimizes medical marijuana programs in the 40 states that have adopted them. It sets up an expedited system for state-licensed medical marijuana producers and distributors to register with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.What are Schedule III drugs?Schedule III drugs are considered to have less “potential for physical and psychological dependence” than Schedule I and II drugs, and currently have “accepted medical use(s)” in the U.S.It makes clear that cannabis researchers won’t be penalized for obtaining state-licensed marijuana or marijuana-derived products for use in their work, and it grants state-licensed medical marijuana companies a windfall by allowing them, for the first time, to deduct business expenses on their federal taxes.Any marijuana-derived medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration is similarly listed in Schedule III, it said.
President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.
The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under U.S. law. But it does change the way it’s regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.
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What it means
The move could loosen restrictions on medical use and scientific research, though reclassification is not the same as legalization.
Marijuana remains a federally controlled substance, and criminal penalties could still apply for possessing, using or selling it, especially in states where it remains illegal.
Axios and The Washington Post were first to report the administration’s intentions to reclassify the drug.
In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Drug Enforcement Administration to consider moving marijuana from Schedule I, alongside heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, a category that includes drugs such as ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.
Blanche said Thursday that the Department of Justice was “delivering on President Trump’s promise” to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said in a statement.
Blanche’s action largely legitimizes medical marijuana programs in the 40 states that have adopted them. It sets up an expedited system for state-licensed medical marijuana producers and distributors to register with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
What are Schedule III drugs?
Schedule III drugs are considered to have less “potential for physical and psychological dependence” than Schedule I and II drugs, and currently have “accepted medical use(s)” in the U.S.
It makes clear that cannabis researchers won’t be penalized for obtaining state-licensed marijuana or marijuana-derived products for use in their work, and it grants state-licensed medical marijuana companies a windfall by allowing them, for the first time, to deduct business expenses on their federal taxes.
Any marijuana-derived medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration is similarly listed in Schedule III, it said.
