The days of Republicans’ hard stances against marijuana have seemingly gone up in smoke.

On December 18, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance—an effective downgrade from Schedule I, the most dangerous classification, which includes drugs like heroin. The change could allow for cannabis to be used in more medical research. The order also authorized the creation of a pilot program to reimburse Medicare patients for CBD products.

The reclassification does not legalize marijuana, rather it seemingly finalizes a recommendation made by the Biden administration in 2022 that the drug be rescheduled. 

“The Attorney General shall take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking........

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