President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to speed up the process of reclassifying cannabis, which would pave the way for the Food and Drug Administration to study its medical uses.
“It is the policy of my administration to increase medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and physicians. It is critical to close the gap between the current use of medical marijuana and CBD and medical knowledge of the risks and benefits.” Says the command.
Trump said before signing the directive in the Oval Office that the matter “is really a matter of common sense.”
He said the order does not make cannabis legal nationwide.
“It does not legalize marijuana in any form, and it does not in any way prohibit its use as a recreational drug,” he said, adding that the order is intended to help people with chronic pain.
Trump also indicated that he would not be open to legalizing cannabis for recreational use. “It is never safe to use hard controlled substances recreationally,” he said. “So unless your doctor recommends using a medication for medical reasons, don’t do it,” he added.
Cannabis is currently classified in the same category as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Trump’s order directs it to be reclassified as Schedule III substances, which are defined by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Drug Enforcement Administration As a drug with “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”.
Other examples of Schedule III drugs include Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and testosterone.
The executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi To complete the formal rescheduling process that has been ongoing for more than a year, and move to publishing a final rule that will reclassify cannabis.
Changing the classification to Schedule III would ease regulatory hurdles and allow the FDA to study medical applications for cannabis, which could open it up to broader medical use by seniors, veterans and others as a medicine, regardless of state laws.
A senior administration official said before the signing that the goal of the order is to “remove barriers to research” and “to begin the work of improving medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. That is the primary goal.”
The order also specifically addresses the Convention on Biological Diversity – Cannabidiol – It is derived from cannabis plants and does not cause a high by itself. The administration official said he is directing the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Policy and Public Affairs to work with Congress to allow people in the United States to benefit from access to CBD products while continuing to restrict the sale and access to products that pose serious health risks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a staunch Trump critic, called the move “a step in the right direction.” On X But he added, “More work must be done to decriminalize cannabis, relax overly restrictive banking regulations that hinder the industry’s progress in states where it is legal, and undo the damage caused by the War on Drugs.”
According to A Gallup November Poll64% of US adults believe marijuana use should be legal.