The Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration today announced they have reclassified marijuana and marijuana products regulated by state medical licenses as Schedule III drugs, which will expand their availability for medical purposes.
State-licensed marijuana is reclassified from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act by the order, which also initiates a new process to consider rescheduling marijuana more broadly. Officials in 2024 previously proposed reclassifying marijuana so it is no longer a strictly controlled Schedule I drug but instead a Schedule III drug, which has fewer restrictions. Examples of Schedule III drugs are testosterone and Tylenol with codeine. President Trump last year issued an executive order directing the attorney general’s office to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana.
In a statement, the DOJ said the new order “recognizes the longstanding regulation of medical marijuana by state governments and the need for a common-sense approach to this reality.”
The rescheduling only applies to marijuana products regulated by states. The DOJ and DEA will hold a hearing on June 29 to consider reclassifying marijuana more broadly as a Schedule III drug.
