A subject of long debate has resulted in what some consider a compromise: state-licensed medical marijuana has been reclassified from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
By Alex Gallagher
Web Master
In December of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” inspiring a case for the rescheduling of the formerly Schedule I drug. Additionally, Trump stated in this executive order that, “It is the policy of my Administration to increase medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors.” Soon thereafter, state-licensed marijuana moved to Schedule III, meaning the Drug Enforcement Administration identified it as a “drug with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” under the Controlled Substances Act. Despite this being a historic change, this only applies to medical marijuana, leaving recreational forms of marijuana to remain categorized under Schedule I, along with heroin and LSD.
