The Trump administration is preparing to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance, with the action potentially coming as soon as Wednesday, according to an administration official.
The shift would substantially lower federal barriers to researching the drug's medical applications. Currently, marijuana's Schedule I classification makes it difficult for scientists to study potential therapeutic uses, a restriction that reclassification would remove.
The move does not represent full legalization. It would not immediately change the legal status of marijuana possession in states where it remains illegal, nor would it provide relief for people already incarcerated for possession-related offenses.
President Trump issued an executive order last year directing the reclassification effort, which typically unfolds over months or years through the standard federal regulatory process. Wednesday's expected announcement would represent a major step forward in that timeline.
Supporters of the change argue it could unlock research into marijuana's medical potential and may strengthen the administration's appeal to advocates who have long pushed for federal research access. The reclassification also signals a broader shift in how the federal government views cannabis, even if practical effects on American law remain limited for now.
Author James Rodriguez: "This is the kind of incremental policy shift that often gets overshadowed by headlines, but it could genuinely unlock years of medical research that's been stuck in regulatory limbo."
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