Trump just issued a major marijuana executive order—Here's what changes

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing that cannabis be moved to a lower drug schedule, a step aimed at easing restrictions on research and lowering its severity, while leaving the drug illegal under federal law.

"I'm pleased to announce that I will be signing an Executive Order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses," the president said before signing the order on Thursday.

Before the executive order, marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug, a category that also includes heroin, LSD and ecstasy, among others. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which assigns drugs to five schedules, defines Schedule I substances as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

The reclassification signals broader federal recognition of cannabis’ potential medical use and could make it easier to conduct research on the drug. It also comes amid Republican pushback on the matter.

The executive order’s reclassification of marijuana makes it easier for researchers pursue federally funded medical trials on marijuana and its potential therapeutic uses. It does not change the status of marijuana, which remains illegal in the U.S. under federal law. However, 40 states have enacted laws that allow the sale of marijuana products for medicinal purposes, and nearly two dozen permit recreational use.

Marijuana, which has several chemical compounds including CBD, has been recommended for some patients in certain medical settings as a potential pain reliever.

Drugs placed in higher schedules generally carry lighter penalties, reflecting federal assessments that they pose a lower risk of abuse and harm.

The order would also impact the cannabis economy as well, with the classification impacting cannabis dispensaries' tax deductions, as they were previously not able to qualify under Schedule I or II drugs.

Trump had floated the change earlier this week, saying in the Oval Office that he was “considering" the drug’s reclassification due to "tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify.” He had also mentioned the move on the campaign trial.

The premise of the reclassification was floated during the Biden administration, with the Department of Justice having proposed a rule to do so in May 2024; however, it did not advance much through the bureaucratic process.

Trump’s order has received pushback from some Republicans, with over two dozen lawmakers signing a letter opposing the matter. The letter reads, “Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug will send the wrong message to America’s children, enable drug cartels, and make our roads more dangerous.” The letter continued, “Schedule I drugs are addictive and have no medical value. Marijuana fits squarely into this category.”

President Donald Trump, as he signed the order on Thursday: "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."

Representative Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, said in an X post on Thursday: “@RepAndyHarrisMD and I co-led a letter to President Trump, joined by 24 of our colleagues, urging him to oppose any effort to reschedule marijuana. Reclassifying marijuana would send the wrong message to our children, worsen addiction, undermine public safety, and hand billions in tax relief to the marijuana industry and foreign criminal cartels. Marijuana has no proven medical value, increases roadway danger, and fuels addiction. We must keep it classified as a Schedule I substance under DEA regulations and put families, public safety, and America’s future FIRST!”

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, previously told Newsweek: “In the past, alternative therapies for seniors being covered by Medicare have been relatively rare. The Trump administration's potential decision to open up Medicare coverage to reimburse CBD treatments for recipients would mark a significant turning point in not just the possible care seniors will receive, but long-standing views at the federal government level on CBD and its effects. While some will take from this possibility a message of the general loosening of marijuana regulations, it's important to note this coverage would still just be in the pilot phase, so more information could be ascertained before possible broader implementation. Still, it's a significant step for advocates who have pushed for more accessibility to CBD and related substances.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said in a December 12 X post: “I'm urging President Trump to listen to the American people & loosen restrictions on marijuana. It’s an economic, medical, & public safety issue. Reclassifying marijuana is progress, & I'll continue my fight to legalize marijuana & expunge prior marijuana possession convictions.”

Adam J. Smith, the executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization, said in a statement to Newsweek: "While MPP welcomes the President’s proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, neither the plant itself nor its naturally occurring component cannabinoids belong on the schedule at all. We hope this move to Schedule III truly does open up medical research, that it inspires states to guarantee access to safe, regulated cannabinoids for patients who desperately need them, and that the regulated industry might finally be treated more fairly under the federal tax code. But a move to Schedule III does nothing to end hundreds of thousands of possession arrests each year, nor does it do anything to fix the untenable, ongoing disconnect between federal prohibition and the regulated state markets under which more than half of American adults live."

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws  (NORML) Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in a statement to Newsweek: "The Administration's order calling to remove the cannabis plant from its Schedule I classification validates the experiences of tens of millions of Americans, as well as those of tens of thousands of physicians, who have long recognized that cannabis possesses legitimate medical utility. It wasn’t long ago that federal officials were threatening to seize doctors' medical licenses just for discussing medical cannabis with their patients. This directive certainly marks a long overdue change in direction."

Update 12/18/25, 2:39 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Adam J. Smith and Paul Armentano.