President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order no later than Thursday to reschedule marijuana to a lower drug category, according to multiple reports. Although federal restrictions would be significantly eased, the drug still would not be legalized nationally.
The plan, the reports say, is to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies Schedule I drugs as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Right now, marijuana is on that list alongside drugs like heroin and MDMA (ecstasy).
Schedule III drugs carry a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” according to the DEA. They include substances like Tylenol with codeine, ketamine and anabolic steroids.
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Drugs are classified into five categories, known as schedules, depending on their medical use and the potential for abuse or dependency.
In the Oval Office on Monday, Trump indicated an executive order is coming soon.
“We are considering that because a lot of people want to see it — the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify,” Trump said. “So, we are looking at that very strongly.”
What reclassification won’t do is make marijuana legal under federal law. The Biden administration started the reclassification process for marijuana, but it wasn’t finished before Biden’s term ended.
Medical marijuana is legal in 40 states and Washington, D.C., while recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states.
Mixed reactions
Marijuana remains a hot-button issue on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers on all sides of the aisle divided over whether it should be legal and to what extent.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., spoke out against rescheduling the drug in an interview Monday with NewsNation.
“I think rescheduling marijuana is wrong,” Lawler said. “The fact is, marijuana is a gateway drug. Most of the people who end up using hard substances start out on marijuana.”
“When you look at the challenges that we’re facing as a country with substance use disorder, I don’t think rescheduling marijuana is wise,” he added.
Others support the possible change.
“I’m urging President Trump to listen to the American people & loosen restrictions on marijuana,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in a social media post this week. “It’s an economic, medical, & public safety issue. Reclassifying marijuana is progress.”
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., however, pointed out that rescheduling is not the same as decriminalization. Another lawmaker said Trump doesn’t have the authority to reschedule a drug through an executive order.
“He can tell any agencies to make every effort, but I’m not sure that it’s legal for the president to do it,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., said Tuesday during a webinar organized by the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association.
Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults think the use of marijuana should be legal, according to a Gallup poll released last month.
