...
By Jasmine Laws
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump could be getting closer to reclassifying marijuana, which would loosen federal regulations by placing it in the same group as some common prescription painkillers, according to a report by the Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Per the outlet, Trump discussed the plan on Wednesday with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Mehmet Oz, as well as marijuana industry leaders, over the phone from the Oval Office.
No official announcement has been made though, so while it seems like plans to reclassify marijuana are progressing, it is still possible they could change or be dropped entirely.
Read More
A White House official told Newsweek that "no final decisions have been made on the rescheduling of marijuana."
...
Why It Matters
Trump has voiced his intentions to bring about this change for some time, saying he would "continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule III drug" during his election campaign, the Associated Press reported.
This is also not the first time a reclassification of the plant has been contemplated. Former President Joe Biden also looked into easing access to the drug in 2023, although efforts to push any legislation over the line were not completed before the end of his term.
More broadly, there is quite the political divide on the issue of legalizing marijuana and its use in medical contexts, although not between the two parties. Some Democrats and Republicans have been united in their support of reclassifying marijuana, citing its benefit in medical contexts, and a number of states have already legalized the drug, but others lawmakers remain more skeptical.
The American public has also previously been largely in support of loosening federal oversight of marijuana, reporting their favor of its legalization in polls, as per Gallup.
What To Know
Trump's plan currently seems to be a reclassification of marijuana from a Schedule I substance (the same group as heroin and LSD) to a Schedule III substance (the same group as Tylenol with codeine, and certain steroid or hormone treatments ) the Washington Post reported.
The move would not legalize or decriminalize marijuana, but it would reduce oversight of the plant and its derivatives, and make it easier to research, which is currently difficult due to various regulatory barriers.
Those seeking to conduct research on cannabis or cannabinoids must go through a series of review processes that involve a number of federal agencies, and studies have pointed to the plant's classification as a Schedule I substance as a barrier to advancing research.
There is currently limited research on both the health harms and benefits of marijuana in medical contexts, with experts saying more research needs to be done to better inform its use.
Jonathan Caulkins, a professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, told Newsweek that while it is "almost certainly true" the rescheduling could make it easier to do research with cannabis materials, he believes that the "magnitude of the importance of that change has perhaps been oversold."
"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," he said.
"If there were such benefits, they could have been discovered by any of the other countries with a modern pharmaceutical research base," he added.
According to Reuters, the move would also likely benefit marijuana companies, as it would lower tax burdens and make it easier for companies to secure funding.
"Reducing taxes collected from an industry reduces their cost of production, which one would expect to, at least over time, translate into lower retail prices to consumers and, as a result, somewhat greater consumption," Caulkins said.
But in a report by the Associated Press, critics say that reclassifying marijuana could situate the drug in a kind of gray area where people are less aware of the potential dangers it can have, as well as the fact it will still remain federally illegal, which could cause confusion around recreational use.
What People Are Saying
Jonathan Caulkins, a professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, told Newsweek: "Most state-licensed production and distribution of intoxicating (THC bearing) cannabis products would remain out of compliance with federal law even after a re-scheduling. Schedule III drugs can only be dispensed by a pharmacy in response to a valid prescription, or by a [Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)] licensed practitioner. Furthermore, Schedule III drugs must meet current good manufacturing practices ensuring product quality, broadly construed, and that includes guaranteeing consistent doses from unit to unit, something that is quite difficult with botanical material."
Dr. Kevin Hill, director of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, told Newsweek: "Rescheduling cannabis makes sense from a theoretical standpoint: cannabis has some, albeit limited, medical purposes. Rescheduling will be an opportunity for research on a larger scale, but it will be important for stakeholders like states and companies currently profiting from cannabis sales to contribute more to the research than they have thus far."
He added: "The primary barrier to research is not cannabis' Schedule I status, it is the lack of funding available for research. There are many outstanding teams of investigators across the country who are capable to finding answers to key questions about cannabis, but funding is scarce."
Amie Goodin, a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the University of Florida, told Newsweek: "Previous state-level loosening marijuana restrictions and regulations have been associated with increases in marijuana consumption in those states, so it is plausible that a federal loosening of regulations will also be associated with increases in marijuana consumption across the country."
She added: "There could potentially be a positive impact regarding medical research, as the current regulatory restrictions associated with the Schedule I status are challenging for scientists to navigate and have been cited as a barrier to studying the potential therapeutic effects of cannabis."
Yasmin Hurd, chair of translational neuroscience and the director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai, told Newsweek: "Reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III would mean the federal government officially recognizes that cannabis has medical value and a moderate to low risk of addiction. There is still no conclusive evidence that whole-plant cannabis provides significant medicinal benefit, but certain cannabinoid-based products do have FDA approval and are not Schedule I. Importantly, many cannabis products used today have high addiction and psychiatric risk, especially for adolescents and young adults. Even if the rescheduling primarily targets medical products, it will likely also influence public perception of recreational use thus potentially increasing addiction risk."
She added: "Overall, shifting cannabis to Schedule III would expand scientific research by removing the major barriers that come with Schedule I status, and it would reduce stigma while giving the cannabis industry a substantial financial boost. Consumption might increase due to lower costs and enhanced legitimacy, while medical use would likely rise as more clinicians feel comfortable recommending cannabis despite ongoing uncertainties about dosing and treatment protocols. Over time, improved research access could lead to stronger evidence-based guidance."
Dr Arthur Robin Williams, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "Rescheduling THC is long overdue. A Schedule III classification would more accurately reflect potential medical applications of cannabinoids while also acknowledging addictive risk. While the news media often dismiss the potential dangers of cannabis, some users go on to develop debilitating addiction or hyperemesis syndromes. These are very much real risks which warrant THC to be scheduled as a controlled substance. Schedule I status has been a political decision rather than an evidence-based classification and it has stood in the way of much needed research for generations."
What Happens Next
There is still a lot left to happen before any such change is brought in, and without any official announcement yet made about the possible reclassification, it is still possible no such policy could be implemented.
This article contains reporting from the Associated Press.
Update 12/12/25, 9:39 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Caulkins.
Update 12/12/25, 10:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Hill.
Update 12/12/25, 10:34 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Yasmin Hurd, Amie Goodin, Dr Arthur Robin Williams and a White House official.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines