Donald Trump's marijuana reclassification plan faces Republican rebuke
- Over 20 Republican senators urged President Trump to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I drug, warning that reclassifying it would risk public health and safety and undermine his policy agenda.
- Despite the opposition, President Trump signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, aiming to ease research restrictions without fully legalizing the drug federally.
- The senators cited concerns about marijuana’s potential for abuse, harm to mental and physical health—especially among youth—and its impact on road and workplace safety as reasons to maintain its Schedule I status.
- Supporters of the change argue that reclassification would facilitate medical research, but critics remain skeptical, noting that other countries have conducted cannabis research regardless of U.S. scheduling laws.
More than 20 Republican senators urged President Donald Trump to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I drug before his announcement Thursday that reclassified it as a Schedule III drug on Thursday.
Trump signed an executive order to reclassify the drug from Schedule I, which includes drugs like heroin, to Schedule III, which features Tylenol mixed with codeine, as well as ketamine and testosterone.
In a letter led by Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina, the lawmakers warned that loosening marijuana regulations would pose risks to public health and safety and undercut Trump’s policy agenda. They argued that broader access to the drug would harm physical and mental health and threaten road and workplace safety.
“The only winners from rescheduling will be bad actors such as Communist China, while Americans will be left paying the bill,” the senators wrote, adding that the move would “undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again.”
The letter was signed by more than 20 Republicans, including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming and several close Trump allies, such as Senators Jim Banks of Indiana, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee.
Trump has said for some time that he would like to change marijuana's classification, which could mean an easing of restrictions but not a full legalization of the drug. During his reelection campaign in 2024, he said he would focus on what the research had to say about the matter. While some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are supportive of the change, others remain skeptical.
In the letter sent to Trump on Thursday, the senators said that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug because it had a high potential for abuse, and the FDA had not approved its use. They cited research showing that the drug was harmful to users, particularly young people and pregnant and nursing women.
The senators also mentioned concerns that marijuana had been linked to poor mental health and permanent IQ loss and alleged that some school shooters had been affected by their use of marijuana.
With that in mind, the Republicans said that America could not be reindustrialized if marijuana use was encouraged, saying that workplaces and roads were endangered by the drug's use.
Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance, a category that includes drugs like heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defines a Schedule I drug “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Schedule I classification has been a barrier to those seeking to conduct research on cannabis or cannabinoids and develop products for the medical marijuana business. Limited research exists on the health harms and benefits of marijuana in medical contexts, with experts saying more research is required.
Trump reportedly wants to change marijuana's classification to Schedule III, which is a group that also includes Tylenol mixed with codeine, as well as ketamine and testosterone.
Part of the reason for the president's plan is the barriers that stand in the way of further research. The change was recommended last year by the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.
Reclassifying to Schedule III would not make marijuana fully legalized at the federal level. The drug would still be viewed as having moderate to low potential for physical and psychological harm and/or dependence.
Schedule III drugs have accepted medical uses, and a person can possess them only with a valid prescription or face a fine of at least $1,000.
Republican lawmakers, in their letter to President Donald Trump: "In light of the documented dangers of marijuana, facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans. We urge you to continue your strong leadership of our country and our economy, and to turn away from marijuana rescheduling."
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Monday: "A lot of people want to see it—the reclassification—because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify."
Jonathan Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, told Newsweek earlier: "It is hard to imagine that there are many wonderful medical benefits of cannabis waiting to be unlocked by this change because U.S. federal scheduling status of course has no impact on the ability to do such medical research in any other country. If there were such benefits, they could have been discovered by any of the other countries with a modern pharmaceutical research base."
The president signed the order Thursday afternoon.
Updates: 12/18/25, 2:01 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.