Trump Administration Reclassifies State-Licensed Medical Marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the reclassification order Thursday, shifting state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — the most restrictive federal drug category, which groups substances with no accepted medical use and high abuse potential — to Schedule III, which covers substances with accepted medical use and moderate to low potential for dependence. Schedule III drugs include anabolic steroids and ketamine; Schedule I drugs include heroin and LSD.

The order applies specifically to cannabis products approved by the FDA and distributed through state medical marijuana licensing frameworks. It does not extend to marijuana sold outside those licensed systems, which remains Schedule I. Blanche's order relied on a provision of federal law allowing the attorney general to determine drug classifications for substances regulated under an international treaty, a step that allowed the administration to sidestep a lengthier DEA review process that had been initiated under President Biden and had received nearly 43,000 public comments.

Blanche said in a statement that the Justice Department was "delivering on President Trump's promise" to expand Americans' access to medical treatment options. DEA Administrator Terry Cole said the agency was "expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process" and remained "committed to fighting drug cartels, the fentanyl epidemic, and protecting American lives." The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp president Michael Bronstein described the action as "the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy in over 50 years," and Curaleaf Chairman Boris Jordan described it as "the biggest legislative change for cannabis in 55 years," according to the Washington Examiner.