Signalling a ceasefire after decades of the “War on Drugs", started by President Richard Nixon in 1971, declaring drug abuse “public enemy number one" and shifting focus to law enforcement, interdiction, and strict prohibition, especially for cannabis, current President Donald Trump, on December 18, 2025, signed an Executive Order shifting marijuana, presently controlled under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), to Schedule III of the CSA.

The Executive Order states, “Marijuana is currently controlled under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency that marijuana be controlled under Schedule III of the CSA. Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. Schedule III drugs are classified as having a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II, a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a potential for moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence in the event of drug abuse."

The recommendation from HHS included a determination that medical marijuana has a currently accepted medical use. That determination was based, in part, on a finding by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health that more than 30,000 licensed healthcare practitioners across 43 United States jurisdictions are authorised to recommend the medical use of marijuana for more than six million registered patients to treat at least 15 medical conditions. It was also based on a finding by the FDA of credible scientific support to substantiate the use of marijuana in the treatment of pain, anorexia related to certain medical conditions, and nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. The National Institute on Drug Abuse concurred with the FDA’s recommendation that marijuana be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA. In May 2024, the Department of Justice issued a proposed rule to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III. The proposed rule received nearly 43,000 public comments and is currently awaiting an administrative law hearing.

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