In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, has signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law. While this move does not fully legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, it acknowledges the drug’s potential medical benefits and lower risk for abuse compared to substances like heroin. The order specifically legitimizes medical programs in 40 states, providing licensed operators with substantial federal tax breaks and easing long-standing barriers to scientific research.

The administration achieved this change by utilizing a legal provision regarding international treaties, effectively bypassing a lengthy review process initiated during the Biden administration. Under the new guidelines, state-licensed producers and distributors can now register with the DEA, and researchers will no longer face penalties for studying state-licensed products. However, marijuana distributed outside of these state-sanctioned medical programs remains in Schedule I, and the administration has scheduled further hearings for June to discuss a broader reclassification of the drug.

Despite the momentum for the industry, the decision has faced pushback from both anti-legalization advocates and some members of the Republican party. Critics argue that the move sends a confusing message regarding the drug’s harms and serves as a “windfall” for large cannabis corporations. Meanwhile, the Trump administration maintains that the shift is a fulfillment of a campaign promise to expand medical treatment options and improve patient care through better data. This transition marks the first major change in federal cannabis restriction since the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, signaling a new era of federal-state cooperation on the issue.