Trump Set to Shift Marijuana Policy with New Executive Order
 |
| Donald Trump (United States President) |
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an order on Thursday to move cannabis to a less strict legal category. While this change will make federal rules less tough, a White House official and a source close to the plans say it does not mean the drug will be fully legal.
The order would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug, which the Drug Enforcement Administration defines as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” to a Schedule III drug, which the DEA defines as having “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” sources said. That reclassification could have implications for research of marijuana or use for medical purposes.
A White House official said that while the signing is set for Thursday, the date might still change. On Monday, Trump told reporters he was "very strongly" considering the move to change how the drug is classified.
“We are considering that because 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. So, we are looking at that very strongly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
A year ago, Trump suggested that if he won the election, he would change the rules for cannabis. He said he would make it easier for adults to buy safe products and give states more freedom to make their own laws on legalisation.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump first said he backed changing national cannabis laws to win over younger voters. He said he wanted to let cannabis companies use banks and allow universities to study the drug.
At the time, Trump said he planned to vote for a law to make recreational cannabis legal in his home state of Florida. He added that, as president, he would keep focusing on research to find more medical uses for the drug and move it into a less restricted legal group.
Behind the scenes, the White House has spent most of 2025 looking into whether they should change the legal category for cannabis.
Trump and other officials talked about the issue for over two hours in a meeting on 9 December. Two sources told CNN that no final decision was made straight after that meeting.
Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, had already asked the relevant departments for their views. Their answers were collected by the White House policy team and given to her during the summer.
