President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the federal government to move forward with reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug — a major milestone in a decades-long push by cannabis advocates to ease federal restrictions.
While the move is being celebrated as a significant step forward, experts caution the change does not happen automatically with the president’s signature.
Despite common misconceptions, the president does not have the authority to reclassify drugs on his own. The executive order, signed Thursday, instructs the U.S. Attorney General to expedite and complete the formal reclassification process.
Cannabis is currently listed as a Schedule I drug — alongside heroin and LSD — meaning it has no federally recognized medical use and a high potential for abuse. The proposed change would move marijuana to Schedule III, a category that includes drugs like Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, which are considered to have accepted medical uses and a lower potential for abuse.
During the signing, President Trump called the action “an honor,” drawing applause as he finalized the order.
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Cannabis experts say the order represents forward movement, but emphasize that much work remains.
“All the executive order really did was move the ball forward,” said Nikki Fried, former commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture, longtime cannabis advocate, and current chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
Fried says reclassification could open the door to increased research funding and broader medical studies.
“This gives an opportunity for real dollars to be spent into research,” she said.
However, she noted the ripple effects could extend far beyond medicine.
“There’s a lot of parts of the federal statutes that intertwine with cannabis — everything from gun regulations to health care, criminal justice, taxation, insurance, and employment,” Fried explained.
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Fried says one of the biggest questions moving forward is how the new regulations will be implemented — and who may benefit the most.
She warned that large pharmaceutical companies could attempt to dominate the cannabis space if safeguards aren’t in place.
“That is something that the American people and those involved in the industry are going to have to keep laser eyes focused on,” Fried said. “That they don’t slow up the FDA process, and that they don’t try to monopolize the cannabis market.”
Despite those concerns, Fried says the executive order is still an important acknowledgment from the White House.
“It’s nice to see that there is forward movement, and that there is a nod from President Trump to make sure that we finally start to address this issue,” she said.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Lindsey Graham, have voiced safety concerns about loosening marijuana restrictions.
There is currently no timeline for when the reclassification process could be completed or take effect. The Department of Justice and federal health agencies must still go through regulatory and administrative steps before any official change occurs.
WPTV will continue to monitor developments as the process moves forward.
