The executive order calls on the U.S. Attorney General to expedite federal reclassification and reduce barriers to research.
Published December 18, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for the federal government to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous.
Thursday’s move comes as Attorney General Pam Bondi is being asked to expedite the Drug Enforcement Administration’s marijuana reclassification process.
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In the United States, drugs and other chemicals are divided into a five-tier classification system, with Schedule I representing the most restrictive tier and Schedule V the least restrictive.
Marijuana was previously classified in the same Schedule I category as powerful drugs such as heroin and LSD. Thursday’s order would fast-track classes to Schedule III that use ketamine and anabolic steroids.
President Trump said the change “does not legalize” marijuana, adding that it “in no way sanctions the use of marijuana as a recreational drug.”
However, this change will make it easier to conduct studies of marijuana, as studies of Schedule III drugs require far fewer approvals than Schedule I substances.
President Trump told reporters earlier in the week that the change is “popular because it would lead to a tremendous amount of research that cannot be done without reclassification, so we are very strongly considering it.”
This change is in line with several states that are moving to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use. This has resulted in a patchwork of state-level regulations that conflict with federal law, and marijuana remains illegal.
Former US President Joe Biden had taken several steps to reduce federal penalties related to marijuana, including a mass pardon for people sentenced to heavy sentences for simple possession.
Such convictions disproportionately impact minority communities and fuel mass incarceration in the United States.
The Biden administration had also begun the process of reclassifying marijuana as Schedule III, an effort that was not completed until the Democratic president left office in January.
Mr. Trump faces pushback from within his own party over the reclassification. Earlier this year, 20 Republican senators signed a letter asking the president to keep tighter restrictions in place.
The group argued that marijuana remains dangerous and that changes to marijuana, a nod to President Trump’s campaign slogan, would “undermine our mighty efforts to make America great again.”
Meanwhile, public support for recreational marijuana legalization has nearly doubled in recent years, rising from 36% in 2005 to 68% in 2024, according to a Gallup poll.
