President Trump Signs Order Directing Federal Government to Move Cannabis to Schedule III

[image: Oval Office, Donald Trump at Desk Surrounded by Doctors &
Adminstration]

President Donald Trump today signed an executive order directing the
federal government to begin reclassifying cannabis from a Schedule I to a
Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act
(CSA), marking one of the most significant federal shifts in U.S. drug
policy in decades.

Since 1970, cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I substance, a
category reserved for drugs considered to have *no accepted medical use*
and a high potential for abuse, alongside substances such as heroin and
LSD. The new order instructs the attorney general to initiate the process
to move cannabis into Schedule III, a classification for substances with *moderate
to low potential for dependence* that recognizes legitimate medical use,
similar to drugs like ketamine and anabolic steroids.

In the Oval Office ceremony, Trump said the change responds to growing
public support and the medical needs of patients suffering from a variety
of conditions, citing personal anecdotes he has heard from friends about
their experiences with CBD and medical cannabis. He and several advisors
who spoke referred to the plan as a “common sense” approach, expanding
access to research and ease some business restrictions, and potentially
empowering Medicare recipients to get full-spectrum CBD products free of
charge with a doctor’s recommendation as soon as April 2026.

The reclassification could significantly affect the legal cannabis industry
by enabling companies to take federal tax deductions previously barred
under Section 280E and could broaden research into cannabis-derived
therapies. The executive order does not, however, offer any new assistance
or pathway to expungement or clemency for the thousands of Americans still
incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes: a point that President Trump had
brought up in his campaign against Kamala Harris last year.

*This is a developing story, please check back soon for updates.*