Order would shift cannabis to a lower-risk classification, expand research and provide tax relief for licensed operators
KTLA5 stated that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order Thursday to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a move that would loosen federal restrictions and offer tax relief to licensed operators.
The change would shift medical marijuana out of one of the most tightly regulated federal categories into a less restrictive classification. While the order does not legalize marijuana at the federal level, it is expected to affect the 40 states that currently allow medical marijuana use.
Blanche said in a post on X that the order calls for an “expedited hearing” to move marijuana and state-licensed cannabis products, including those approved by the Food and Drug Administration, from Schedule I to Schedule III.
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and efficacy, expanding patients’ access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” Blanche wrote.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will begin an administrative hearing on June 29 to consider the proposed reclassification.
“Under the direction of President Donald Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche, DEA is expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process — bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both,” DEA Administrator Terry Cole said in a statement.
The order also speeds up the registration process for state-licensed operators with the DEA and confirms that researchers will not face legal consequences for using state-approved cannabis in their studies.
In December, Trump signed an executive order directing officials to accelerate the rescheduling process as part of a broader push to expand cannabis research. At the time, he emphasized that the federal ban on marijuana would remain in place, a restriction dating back to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
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He also warned about the risks of recreational use during the signing.
“If it’s abused, it’s never safe to use powerful, controlled substances in recreational matters, and especially in this case, if you take a look, illegal and unregulated drugs, very, very bad thing,” Trump said.
Former President Joe Biden began the rescheduling process during his administration, but it was not finalized before Trump returned to office.
Trump has also taken steps to expand drug research, including signing an executive order to accelerate studies into certain psychedelic drugs that could be used to treat mental health conditions in veterans.