President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at speeding up the reclassification of cannabis, which would pave the way for the Food and Drug Administration to study its medicinal uses.
“It is my Administration’s policy to increase research on medical marijuana and CBD to better inform patients and physicians. It is critical to close the gap between current use of medical marijuana and CBD and medical knowledge of the risks and benefits,” the order states.
Trump said before signing the directive in the Oval Office that it was “really a matter of common sense.”
The order does not make cannabis legal nationwide, he said.
“It does not legalize marijuana in any way or sanction its use as a recreational drug,” he said, adding that the ordinance is intended to help people with chronic pain.
Trump also indicated that he would not be willing to legalize cannabis for recreational use. “It is never safe to use powerful controlled substances recreationally,” he said. “So unless a medication is recommended by a doctor for medical reasons, don’t take it,” he said.
Cannabis is currently classified in the same category as heroin, ecstasy and LSD under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Trump’s order directs that it be reclassified as a Schedule III substance, defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a drug “with moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
Other examples of Schedule III drugs are Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and testosterone.
The executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to conclude the formal rescheduling process, which has lasted for over a year, and issue a final rule that would reclassify cannabis.
Changing the classification to Schedule III would ease regulatory hurdles and allow the FDA to study medical applications of cannabis, potentially opening it to broader medical use by seniors, veterans and others as a pharmaceutical product, independent of state laws.
The goal of the order, a senior administration official said before signing, is to “remove barriers to research” and “begin working to improve research on medical marijuana and CBD to better inform patients and doctors.” That’s the main objective.”
The ordinance also specifically addresses CBD – cannabidiol – which is derived from hemp plants and does not cause an effect on its own. It directs the White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, policy and public affairs to work with Congress to provide Americans with access to CBD products while restricting the sale and access to products that pose serious health risks, the administration official said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a staunch Trump critic, called the move “a step in the right direction” on
According to a November Gallup poll, 64% of American adults believe marijuana use should be legal.
