US President Donald Trump signs order to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, easing medical research but not legalising recreational use.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump (pic) signed an executive order on Thursday to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
The order paves the way for more medical research on the use of cannabis products.
This long-awaited move will take marijuana out of the most hazardous category of narcotics alongside heroin and LSD.
It does not legalise its use across the United States.
Trump said the order “no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug” but would make it better available for “legitimate medical uses”.
“We have people begging for me to do this. People that are in great pain,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
He added the reclassification would make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research.
Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I substance, which the US government considers to have high abuse potential without accepted medical use.
It will be moved to Schedule III, which includes drugs like ketamine considered to have medical value and less abuse potential.
Dozens of US states already have legal medical marijuana programs, with many also approving recreational use.
Trump’s move is aimed at lowering barriers to research, as authorising clinical studies on Schedule I substances can require many layers of approval.
It could also provide a major tax boost for companies that legally grow and sell cannabis.
A senior US official told reporters it was a “common-sense decision”.
Trump, surrounded by medical experts for the announcement, reiterated the order “is not the legalization” of marijuana.
The teetotal 79-year-old added he has always advised his children to stay away from drugs.
Cannabis company shares traded higher on the New York Stock Exchange after the announcement.
Aurora Cannabis was up 8.62%, Canopy Growth rose 10.94%, and Tilray gained 6.40% following the news.
US presidents cannot unilaterally reclassify a drug, but Trump’s order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the process.
Democrat Joe Biden’s administration had previously pursued reclassification, but efforts stalled before Trump took office in early 2025.
The US has a patchwork of state-level regulations regarding cannabis distribution, possession, and cultivation.
In small amounts, it is already legal for recreational use in 24 states as well as the capital Washington. – AFP
