(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
Currently, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive federal category that includes heroin and LSD.
Under this change, it moves to a Schedule III drug, putting it in the same group as some common prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine.
The White House is stressing that this change makes it easier for scientists to study marijuana, especially around its potential to treat chronic pain and other conditions
"The executive order the President will sign today is focused on increasing medical research for medical marijuana and CBD," a senior administration official told ABC News ahead the signing.
"The President is very focused on the potential medical benefits, and he has directed a commonsense approach that will automatically start working to improve the medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. That's the primary goal," the official added.
The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the completion of the process of rescheduling marijuana, according to a senior White House official, who outlined the order on a background call with reporters on Thursday.
"Nearly one in four U.S. adults have chronic pain; more than one in three U.S. seniors and six of 10 people that use medical marijuana report doing so to manage pain," the official said.
By making medical marijuana more accessible, healthcare providers are also hopeful that patients will discuss the risks and benefits and especially what is known about how marijuana may interact with other medications or supplements.
"It's very important for seniors, especially many of them are on multiple medications, and only 56% of seniors that are using medical marijuana have ever discussed it with their doctor, highlighting a big gap in the quality of care for patients."
For the first time at the federal level, the order means the government formally recognizes that marijuana could have medical value.
"His intent is to remove barriers to research. The president has heard from so many people who have talked about the potential benefits of medical marijuana and CBD use, but he's also heard from patients and from doctors that there's not enough research to inform medical guidelines that many patients are using these products without talking to their doctor about them," the White House official said.
While this move does not fully legalize marijuana, it could mean some important practical changes, including easier medical access and fewer legal gray areas for consumers and businesses.
The officials said that this executive order makes good on Trump's campaign promise. Trump first announced his support for this change in federal policy back on the 2024 campaign trail as he tried to win over young voters.
Trump has said he'd support research on the medical benefits of marijuana and that individuals should not be arrested or incarcerated for small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
However, this change still means that marijuana is illegal to possess under federal law, the senior official clarified. Changing the federal law would require Congressional approval.
"Anyone possessing marijuana would be in violation of the CSA (Controlled Substances Act) and still remain subject to arrest under federal law. The schedule III change is not changing federal policy regarding that," the official said.
To date, evidence on how safe or effective marijuana may be for medical purposes is limited due to research restrictions, but nearly all states currently allow some medical use of the drug.
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