Trump signs order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous | Trump administration

Donald Trump signed a decree on the move on Thursday hemp from the most restrictive drug category, a change that would loosen restrictions on research and some regulations but would stop short of making marijuana legal nationwide.

“I am pleased to announce that I will sign an executive order reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,” the president said from the Oval Office.

“This reclassification order will greatly facilitate medical research related to marijuana, allowing us to study the benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump added. “It will have a hugely positive effect.”

The action allows for a pilot program that reimburses Medicare patients for products containing CBD, a widely used cannabis-derived compound that does not cause a high.

The order would move marijuana from Schedule I, a category that includes heroin, to Schedule III, which also includes ketamine. But the move would not legalize marijuana, as some states have done, or change how law enforcement makes marijuana arrests, according to senior administration officials who spoke with New York Times.

Placing marijuana on Schedule III would put it on par with certain prescription painkillers while keeping recreational use illegal at the federal level. This change would still have to go through the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) formal rulemaking process. The reclassification could facilitate scientific research as well as ease the burden on legal cannabis businesses by reducing harsh federal tax penalties and improving access to banking services.

The order directs the Department Health and the Human Security Service (HHS) to develop “research methods and models that use real-world evidence” to study the long-term health effects of medical marijuana and hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

It also says the White House will work with Congress to expand access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products while limiting products that pose serious health risks, citing a lack of FDA approval at this time. One in five U.S. adults and nearly 15% of older adults reported using CBD in the past year, according to the order.

For many years, the recognition of marijuana as a highly addictive substance has been widely criticized. The recategorization reflects federal recognition that cannabis has recognized medical benefits and a lower risk of abuse than previously classified. Trump's order does not affect recreational marijuana and does not include any changes to criminal justice laws.

I drink research suggests that 57% of Americans believe cannabis should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, while 32% believe it should only be legal for medical use.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml), said the order “validates the experience of tens of millions of Americans, as well as the experience of tens of thousands of physicians who have long recognized that cannabis has legitimate medical benefits.”

Armentano, however, added that “while such a move potentially offers some benefits to patients, and especially veterans, it still falls far short of the changes needed to bring federal marijuana policy into the 21st century,” citing the fact that 24 U.S. states have already legalized the use and sale of the substance.