The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday it was easing federal restrictions on certain marijuana products, following a directive from President Donald Trump late last year to expand research into cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD).
In a new order, officials said products containing marijuana that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as marijuana products produced under state medical cannabis programs, will now be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
In a post Thursday morning on X, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ was “immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.” He added that the DOJ is also “ordering a new, expedited hearing with set deadlines, to fully reschedule marijuana.”
The order, signed by Blanche, neither legalizes marijuana nor endorses it for recreational use under federal law. The DEA will start the new administrative hearing on June 29.
“Under the direction of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche, [Drug Enforcement Administration] DEA is expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process—bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole said Thursday. “Our men and women in law enforcement remain committed to fighting drug cartels, the fentanyl epidemic and protecting American lives.”
In December, Trump signed an executive order to fast track the reclassification of cannabis to a less-restrictive category of drugs because of its medicinal benefits.
Schedule III drugs include ketamine and are defined as those with “a moderate to low potential for psychological dependence, such as Tylenol with codeine,” according to the DEA.
Blanche said the DOJ is delivering on Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options.
“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said.
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