President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would expedite cannabis rescheduling, easing restrictions that have been in place for more than half a century.
The order focuses on speeding up an ongoing review under the Controlled Substances Act, the federal framework that sorts drugs into five categories based on medical usefulness and abuse potential.
At the top of that system is Schedule I, reserved for substances deemed highly addictive, dangerous, and lacking any accepted medical benefit. Cannabis has remained in that category since 1970, grouped with drugs such as heroin. At the opposite end is Schedule V, which includes medications considered to have clear medical value and low risk of misuse.
Placement in Schedule I has long created barriers for scientists seeking to study cannabis. Researchers face additional licensing requirements, limits on supply, and other regulatory obstacles that do not apply to substances in lower schedules. This has frustrated doctors and patients who point to decades of use of cannabis-based treatments for conditions such as chronic pain, nausea, and muscle spasms.
Reclassification efforts began under President Joe Biden, who in 2022 asked the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to review marijuana’s placement. At the time, Biden argued that treating cannabis more harshly than drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl did not align with scientific evidence or public health realities.
The review moved forward in 2023 when the DHHS recommended moving cannabis to Schedule III. Drugs in this category are recognized as having medical value and a moderate to low likelihood of abuse. Acting on the recommendation, the DOJ released a proposed rule in 2024, opening the door for public comment.
Roughly 43,000 responses were submitted, and about 70% supported changes that went beyond rescheduling, including removing marijuana from the controlled substances list entirely or legalizing it nationwide. The proposal is now headed toward an administrative hearing.
If approved, the change would mark an unprecedented shift as federal authorities have never reclassified a Schedule I substance that is as widely used as cannabis. It is currently legal for medical purposes in 40 states and Washington, DC, while recreational use is permitted in 24 states. Surveys also show that daily cannabis consumption now exceeds similar patterns of alcohol use among American adults.
While the executive order does not immediately change marijuana’s legal status, it instructs the DOJ to complete the ongoing rulemaking as quickly as federal law allows. Lawmakers could also act independently, since Congress has the authority to amend the Controlled Substances Act.
For now, the order signals renewed momentum in a debate that has steadily reshaped drug policy across the United States. Local and foreign based marijuana companies like Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB) will be closely following how the administrative review process pans out and the final rule enacted.
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