President Donald Trump appears closer to directing his administration to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III federally controlled substance.
That was first reported by the Washington Post, which cites multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
"Things have been slowly moving in this direction since the Biden Administration initiated the process back in 2022," says Paul Armentano, Deputy Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it possesses a “high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use,” since 1970.
A move to Schedule III would recognize its medical utility, putting marijuana in the same category as some prescription painkillers and steroid treatments, while easing barriers to research.
But, Armentano says that's not enough.
"Reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III does not harmonize state and federal marijuana laws."
Armentano says in order to reach harmony and to provide state governments with the explicit authority to establish their own cannabis regulatory policies — like with alcohol — cannabis must be removed from the Controlled Substances Act altogether.
"The majority of Americans have made clear with their votes that they want marijuana treated like alcohol," Armentano said.
White House spokespeople insist “no final decisions” have yet to be made on the matter.