Just when you thought the political garden couldn’t get any hazier, President Trump went ahead and lit a new fire – making a move to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana.
According to the Daily Mail [1], Trump made a move today to reclassify some cannabis from Schedule I – where it sat next to heroin, LSD, and ecstasy – to the less restrictive Schedule III (the same category as ketamine, prescription painkillers, and anabolic steroids). This happened after a months-long federal review of the drug.
The shift acknowledges medical use and lowers barriers for research and cannabis businesses. So Uncle Sam didn’t take a step to legalize weed – but the government did stop pretending the drug is public enemy number one.
Trump’s acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who signed an order reclassifying state- licensed medical marijuana (and FDA-approved products) on Thursday, said about the change, “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.”
However, despite the headlines, the full reclassification of marijuana isn’t a done deal. While the Trump administration has taken a major step toward reclassifying state- licensed medical marijuana to a less restrictive category, any full reclassification change still has to move through a formal rulemaking process, including a public hearing and additional regulatory review.
Agencies like the DEA will play a key role in shaping how the policy is ultimately implemented, and that leaves room for tweaks, delays, or legal challenges.
While some folks are happy about the pivot, some Republicans aren’t exactly chill about it. Critics argue the move sends the wrong message and could undercut law-and-order priorities, accusing the administration of going soft.
Shortly after Trump announced in December that the rescheduling would be a priority, 22 Republican senators and 26 GOP House members had sent letters urging him to reconsider. Congressman Andy Harris, chairman of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, said at the time, “We don’t need rescheduling to do medical research on marijuana – all we are doing is exposing more of our youth to an addictive drug.”
Bottom line: marijuana is still federally illegal. So despite the buzz, this isn’t a green light – it’s more of a yellow. Washington may be easing up, but the brakes are still within reach, and how far this goes depends on what happens next in the rulemaking gauntlet.