Is the US finally turning the page on cannabis?
President Donald Trump thinks so — and he’s just taken a big step to prove it.
With a stroke of a pen, Trump signed an executive order directing the justice department to downgrade cannabis from a Schedule I drug — alongside heroin.
It was moved to Schedule III, the same category as Tylenol with codeine.
It’s a major policy shift, even if marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Why does this matter? Schedule III drugs are considered to have legitimate medical uses and a lower risk of dependence.
That change could unlock broader research into cannabis and ease tax rules that have long burdened state-legal dispensaries.
Cannabis Policy Shift
Standing in the Oval Office, Trump said Americans in “great pain” have been “begging” for action.
He pointed to cancer patients, people with seizure disorders, and injured veterans.
Like prescription opioids, he noted, cannabis has risks — but also potential benefits.
The order also nudges Congress to expand access to CBD and calls on health officials to seriously study its real-world effects.
A senior official called it a “commonsense action” to finally understand what cannabis does — and doesn’t — do.
Supporters cheered. “This is a fundamental shift,” said Tim Barash of the Coalition of Cannabis Scheduling Reform.
Critics, especially Republicans, warned it could normalise drug use and send the wrong message to kids.
Still, with most Americans backing legalisation, the question now isn’t if policy changes — but how far they’ll go.
