President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at promoting research into marijuana for medicinal purposes. The new rule directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to hasten the process of loosening federal restrictions to begin the process of moving marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
According to the President in his executive order, Schedule I drugs are defined as having “no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.” Moving marijuana to Schedule III reclassifies the drug as having an “accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”
When signing the executive order, Trump explained why the new rule would be important for many Americans.
“I have friends that are really, really sick… and when they go through this horrible ordeal of cancer or other things and they realize that this is something that makes them feel better without all of the side effects of some of the drugs where you are just totally knocked out and out of it,” Trump said.
The White House released a fact sheet explaining in more detail what the executive order accomplishes. The new Schedule III status will “allow research studies to incorporate real-world evidence and models that can assess the health outcomes of medical marijuana and legal CBD products while focusing on long-term health effects in vulnerable populations like adolescents and young adults.”
The White House also emphasized how the order could be particularly beneficial for seniors, many of whom suffer from chronic pain. Marijuana use among Americans aged 65 and older reached a record seven percent in 2023, up 46 percent from 2021.
Some anti-legalization individuals and groups have understandably expressed concern that reclassifying the drug could pave the way for legalized recreational use at the federal level. In almost all states where marijuana is now legal for recreational use, it was initially only legal for medical use. The marijuana circulating on both the legal market and the black market today is exponentially more potent than the product being sold even just a few decades ago, leading to serious risk of psychosis in heavy users, particularly teenagers.
President Trump, however, made clear that he has no intention of full legalization. “I want to emphasize that the order I am about to sign is not the legalization [of] marijuana in any way, shape, or form — and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug… It’s never safe to use powerful controlled substances in recreational manners,” the President said.
Rep. Greg Steube of Florida stated in a post on X that there is “no logical reason why [marijuana] should have been treated the same as drugs like heroin or LSD for the last 50+ years.” He praised the President for his decision to allow more research into the drug.
“Rescheduling marijuana is a necessary step forward, and I’m pleased that we are finally turning the page on a broken status quo,” Steube said. “It’s time to give our scientists and researchers the freedom to use cannabis in developing new treatments and cures for pain and disease.”
Senator Rand Paul, who is known for his libertarian views, shared a similar sentiment and explained this could potentially improve the lives of many Americans.
“For countless Americans managing pain, this will finally make it easier to access relief options like CBD without turning them into criminals,” he said. “Responsible, science-based reform can improve lives while protecting our freedoms.”
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
