A significant announcement from the federal government could reshape the way that marijuana is used and studied in the U.S. Read on for the details of the change in the rescheduling of this drug.

DOJ Orders Rescheduling of Some Marijuana Products

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday that it has issued an order aimed at rescheduling some marijuana products to a lower drug classification. This move would accelerate the process to reclassify the drug more broadly.  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the order, effectively putting all marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Schedule III as defined by the Controlled Substances Act. The order also applies to products regulated by a state medical marijuana license.

Blanche said that the decision is "delivering on President Trump's promise to expand Americans' access to medical treatment options." The president signed an executive order in December directing the nation's attorney general to start the process of rescheduling the drug. More recently, Trump signed an executive order on Saturday designed to expedite research and relax restrictions on some types of psychedelics.

In addition to rescheduling certain marijuana products, the DOJ is working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to jumpstart a hearing process to look at the broader rescheduling of the drug from Schedule I to Schedule III. This initial hearing is expected to happen on June 29, 2026.

Schedule I drugs represent the strictest classification used by the federal government. The DEA notes that these drugs carry a "high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence."  For context, heroin, ecstasy, and LSD are also Schedule I drugs. Some of the most commonly used Schedule III drugs are anabolic steroids, Tylenol with codeine, and ketamine.

According to the DOJ, the order for the reclassification encompasses marijuana extracts and marijuana-derived compounds. This includes delta-9 THC. Blanche said that the reclassification will pave the way for more "research on the safety and efficacy of this substance."

Not all forms of marijuana fall under the new classification. The order specifically notes that "any form of marijuana other than in an FDA-approved drug product or marijuana subject to a state medical marijuana license remains a schedule I controlled substance, and those who handle such material remain subject to the regulatory controls, and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions."

The DOJ order also creates an expedited process for federal registration with the DEA for medical marijuana entities licensed at the state level. By bringing the state-licensing processes under the federal umbrella, the hope is that it will be easier to achieve the goals set forth by the Controlled Substances Act and how it relates specifically to the benefits of medical marijuana.

The news was met with praise from advocates of medical marijuana. However, some legalization advocates said that the order did not go far enough. For example, Adam J. Smith, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said that while he welcomed the decision, he thinks that cannabis should be entirely rescheduled.

Smith said that he hopes that the rescheduling will "open the door to more medical research." He went on to say that the 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."

The Path to the Rescheduling

It has been a long road to get to this rescheduling order. President Trump took up the issue during his 2024 presidential campaign, confirming that he supported rescheduling the drug to Schedule III in order to unlock its benefits in the medical field. He went on to confirm that he would support a ballot amendment in Florida seeking to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. However, that proposal was voted down by Florida voters in November of 2024.

Following up on his campaign promise, the president signed an order in December aiming to boost research efforts in the field of medical marijuana and CBD research. This directive acknowledged that the strict drug control policy at the federal level has limited the ability of researchers and manufacturers to learn more about the potential risks and benefits. Trump's proactive approach to rescheduling the drug came after the Biden administration made similar moves.

Thursday's decision by the DOJ comes on the heels of decades of action at the state level. The District of Columbia and 24 states have already legalized the recreational use of the drug for adults. In addition, 38 states offer medical marijuana programs.

It is important to note that broader rescheduling would not inherently legalize the drug at the federal level. Instead, it simply makes it easier for scientists to research marijuana and ways that it can be used for medical purposes. But advocates for the broader legalization of the drug believe that this is a move in the right direction.

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