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[Policy](/news/policy "Policy")

8 min read

# Trump administration moves marijuana to Schedule III to expand medical research

![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile")Published June 13, 2026in [Policy](/news/policy "Policy")

 Trump’s administration reclassifies medical marijuana to Schedule III, easing federal barriers to research while leaving non-approved products exposed to prosecution.

![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile")

Rob Harley has reported on cannabis law and the non-profit association movement across Europe for the past decade. He focuses on how regulation actually reaches the members who use cannabis social clubs — the paperwork, the limits, and the slow build of public trust. His work for Cannabivo aims to be accurate, sourced, and free of hype.

[More articles by this author](/news/author/rob-harley "See all articles by this author")Published June 13, 2026in [Policy](/news/policy "Policy")

 In this article1. [A federal reclassification with narrow but significant reach](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#a-federal-reclassification-with-narrow-but-significant-reach "A federal reclassification with narrow but significant reach")
2. [What changes under Schedule III](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#what-changes-under-schedule-iii "What changes under Schedule III")
3. [What the order does not do](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#what-the-order-does-not-do "What the order does not do")
4. [Research, medicine and the politics of proof](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#research-medicine-and-the-politics-of-proof "Research, medicine and the politics of proof")
5. [The broader policy climate remains unsettled](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#the-broader-policy-climate-remains-unsettled "The broader policy climate remains unsettled")
6. [What readers should watch next](/news/policy/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research#what-readers-should-watch-next "What readers should watch next")

The Trump administration has taken marijuana out of the federal government’s most dangerous drug category and moved state-licensed medical marijuana to **Schedule III**, a shift officials say should make research easier and recognize medical use without legalizing recreational cannabis at the federal level. The order, signed by the acting attorney general, marks a major change in how Washington treats a drug that remains heavily regulated, still contested, and, by experts’ account, not fully decriminalized.

## A federal reclassification with narrow but significant reach

The move from **Schedule I** to **Schedule III** is the core of the story: it lowers the federal risk level assigned to state-licensed medical marijuana and opens the door to more scientific research and potential tax benefits, according to reports on the order. But the policy stops well short of nationwide legalization, and it does not erase federal criminal exposure for products that are not FDA-approved, as experts noted in coverage of the change.

Why the rescheduling matters

The administration’s order changes federal treatment of state-licensed medical marijuana, but it does not make recreational cannabis legal nationwide and does not protect all cannabis products from prosecution.

[![Abstract editorial illustration of a federal building beside a legal file and research documents.](/images/uploads/d6c5ef72-fb59-49fd-a0ad-bb19f41e00d5/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/d6c5ef72-fb59-49fd-a0ad-bb19f41e00d5/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.avif "View image full size")

A federal reclassification changes the legal frame around state-licensed medical marijuana.That balance — easier access for research, but not full legalization — sits at the heart of the administration’s rationale. The White House’s earlier signals, including the December 2025 order discussed by [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/trump-cannabis-executive-order-reschedule "The Guardian") and [El País](https://elpais.com/us/2025-12-18/trump-firma-un-decreto-para-sacar-la-marihuana-del-grupo-de-las-drogas-mas-peligrosas-y-permitir-su-uso-con-fines-medicos.html "El País"), framed the issue as a medical-policy adjustment rather than a broader cultural reversal.

## What changes under Schedule III

By moving medical marijuana out of the category reserved for the most dangerous drugs, the administration is changing how the federal government regards a substance already licensed in most states. The practical effect, as described in [AP’s explanation of the federal order](https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268 "AP’s explanation of the federal order"), is a loosening of federal restrictions that could make it easier to study medical cannabis and alter the tax treatment of related activity.

How the federal classification shifts the policy landscape
| Policy area | Schedule I position | Schedule III position | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal risk category | Most dangerous drugs | Less dangerous drug | [AP’s report on the reclassification](https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268 "AP’s report on the reclassification") |
| Research access | Tighter barriers | Easier research | [The Guardian’s coverage of the shift](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/trump-administration-reclassify-marijuana-schedule-iii "The Guardian’s coverage of the shift") |
| Tax treatment | More restrictive | Tax benefits may open | [AP’s report on the reclassification](https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268 "AP’s report on the reclassification") |
| Legal status of recreational use | Not legalized | Still not legalized federally | [El País on the Trump order](https://elpais.com/us/2025-12-18/trump-firma-un-decreto-para-sacar-la-marihuana-del-grupo-de-las-drogas-mas-peligrosas-y-permitir-su-uso-con-fines-medicos.html "El País on the Trump order") |

The federal government is therefore not making a sweeping moral or criminal-law judgment about cannabis as a whole. It is carving out a narrower medical lane, one that keeps the substance under control but acknowledges that the old federal classification no longer matches the administration’s own policy direction.

> The move would ease some restrictions and expand research while stopping short of nationwide legalization.
>
> AP coverage of the Trump administration’s policy shift

## What the order does not do

Despite the headline-grabbing shift, the order leaves important limits in place. Experts quoted in coverage said users can still face prosecution for cannabis products that are not FDA-approved, meaning the reclassification should not be mistaken for blanket immunity. That distinction matters because federal drug policy remains a patchwork of categories, approvals and enforcement risks.

- It does not legalize recreational cannabis at the federal level.
- It does not remove the possibility of prosecution for non-approved cannabis products.
- It applies to state-licensed medical marijuana, not a broad federal endorsement of all cannabis markets.
- It signals a narrower medical-policy shift rather than full federal legalization.

This limited scope helps explain why the administration could describe the move as a reform while still preserving core federal enforcement tools. In other words, the government has changed the label and the regulatory frame, but not rewritten the whole rulebook.

[![Abstract courtroom-style illustration showing legal files and a classification chart.](/images/uploads/dc99fe50-6373-4a6a-a24e-a9fbbd0393e9/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/dc99fe50-6373-4a6a-a24e-a9fbbd0393e9/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.avif "View image full size")

The reclassification changes federal categories, but legal exposure does not disappear.

## Research, medicine and the politics of proof

One of the most concrete consequences of the order is the promise of easier research. The administration’s step is being presented as a way to support medical study, and that has obvious implications for a field where federal classification has long constrained investigation. The policy logic is straightforward: if the drug is treated as less dangerous, the paperwork and institutional barriers around research should become easier to manage.

That rationale also fits the broader medical framing used by the administration. The order was repeatedly described in the supplied reports as a measure to foster medical use, not to open a recreational market. That distinction is central to understanding the politics of the move: it is both a loosening and a containment strategy.

Context

Trump’s order follows earlier reporting that he intended to reclassify marijuana while leaving federal recreational legality untouched. The central change is medical and regulatory, not a full national legalization.

## The broader policy climate remains unsettled

The federal shift lands in a wider environment where cannabis policy remains volatile on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe, the EU drugs agency has warned that the market is becoming more complex, with stronger cannabis and other higher-risk substances creating new public-health concerns, according to its 2026 report and related coverage from [Euronews](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/09/new-health-risks-emerge-as-europes-drug-market-grows-more-complex-eu-agency-warns "Euronews") and [the EUDA’s report materials](https://www.euda.europa.eu/system/files/documents/2026-06/highlights_edr2026_en_final.pdf "the EUDA’s report materials"). That European backdrop is not the same debate, but it shows how cannabis policy is still being pulled between medical, enforcement and public-health priorities.

The administration’s move also arrives amid a noisy international policy conversation. Reports from [Cannabis Europa](https://cannabis-europa.com/insights/european-cannabis-regulations-2026/ "Cannabis Europa") say Europe still lacks an EU-level legalization model, while [AP’s other report on the federal order](https://apnews.com/article/52c99497e0146749af5f9f033cd27e9f "AP’s other report on the federal order") underscored that the U.S. change is an easing step, not a finished settlement. The message on both continents is similar: regulation is moving, but consensus is not.

Policy signals around the U.S. rescheduling decision
| Source | What it says | Relevance to the U.S. order |
|---|---|---|
| [AP](https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268 "AP") | Rescheduling opens research and tax benefits | Shows the practical policy effects |
| [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/trump-administration-reclassify-marijuana-schedule-iii "The Guardian") | Step would ease restrictions and expand research | Frames the shift as limited reform |
| [El País](https://elpais.com/us/2025-12-18/trump-firma-un-decreto-para-sacar-la-marihuana-del-grupo-de-las-drogas-mas-peligrosas-y-permitir-su-uso-con-fines-medicos.html "El País") | Medical use is the explicit goal, not recreational legalization | Clarifies the administration’s intent |
| [AP](https://apnews.com/article/52c99497e0146749af5f9f033cd27e9f "AP") | Federal regulation of state-licensed medical marijuana changes | Explains the administrative effect |

[![Abstract map of the United States with policy and research symbols layered over it.](/images/uploads/05a31b71-232d-4df5-a76e-b6a46d6ddc21/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/05a31b71-232d-4df5-a76e-b6a46d6ddc21/trump-administration-moves-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-to-expand-medical-research-editorial-1920x1080.avif "View image full size")

The decision changes federal rules in one country while leaving wider debates unresolved.

## What readers should watch next

The next stage will be less about symbolism than administration: how federal agencies interpret the reclassification, how researchers use the easier pathway, and whether the tax and compliance effects described in reporting begin to materialize. Because the order does not legalize cannabis nationwide, the practical stakes remain concentrated in medical access, research design and the continued boundary between approved and non-approved products.

For now, the significance is clear enough. The federal government has moved state-licensed medical marijuana out of its harshest category and into a less punitive frame, but it has done so with explicit limits. That makes the policy a reform, not a resolution.

Main points

- The Trump administration moved state-licensed medical marijuana from \*\*Schedule I\*\* to \*\*Schedule III\*\*.
- The change is meant to make research easier and may bring tax benefits, but it does not legalize recreational cannabis federally.
- Experts say non-FDA-approved cannabis products can still carry criminal exposure.
- The order changes federal treatment of medical marijuana without ending the broader legal conflict around cannabis policy.

Trump’s rescheduling order is best understood as a targeted federal correction rather than a sweeping legalization wave. It lowers the category assigned to state-licensed medical marijuana, opens the way for more research and possible tax relief, and still leaves major legal and enforcement limits intact. In a policy area defined by incremental change, that is a substantial move — just not the final one.

## Sources

1. [Trump’s cannabis order will still leave users at risk of prosecution, experts say (theguardian.com)](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/trump-cannabis-executive-order-reschedule "Open source in a new tab: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/trump-cannabis-executive-order-reschedule")
2. [Trump firma un decreto para sacar la marihuana del grupo de las drogas más peligrosas y permitir su uso con fines médicos (elpais.com)](https://elpais.com/us/2025-12-18/trump-firma-un-decreto-para-sacar-la-marihuana-del-grupo-de-las-drogas-mas-peligrosas-y-permitir-su-uso-con-fines-medicos.html "Open source in a new tab: https://elpais.com/us/2025-12-18/trump-firma-un-decreto-para-sacar-la-marihuana-del-grupo-de-las-drogas-mas-peligrosas-y-permitir-su-uso-con-fines-medicos.html")
3. [Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift (apnews.com)](https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268 "Open source in a new tab: https://apnews.com/article/1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268")
4. [Trump administration moves to ease federal restrictions on marijuana (theguardian.com)](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/trump-administration-reclassify-marijuana-schedule-iii "Open source in a new tab: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/trump-administration-reclassify-marijuana-schedule-iii")
5. [New health risks emerge as Europe’s drug market grows more complex, EU agency warns (euronews.com)](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/09/new-health-risks-emerge-as-europes-drug-market-grows-more-complex-eu-agency-warns "Open source in a new tab: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/09/new-health-risks-emerge-as-europes-drug-market-grows-more-complex-eu-agency-warns")
6. [News release (euda.europa.eu)](https://www.euda.europa.eu/system/files/documents/2026-06/highlights_edr2026_en_final.pdf "Open source in a new tab: https://www.euda.europa.eu/system/files/documents/2026-06/highlights_edr2026_en_final.pdf")
7. [European Cannabis Regulations by Country:The 2026 Business Guide (cannabis-europa.com)](https://cannabis-europa.com/insights/european-cannabis-regulations-2026/ "Open source in a new tab: https://cannabis-europa.com/insights/european-cannabis-regulations-2026/")
8. [What to know about a federal order reclassifying medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug (apnews.com)](https://apnews.com/article/52c99497e0146749af5f9f033cd27e9f "Open source in a new tab: https://apnews.com/article/52c99497e0146749af5f9f033cd27e9f")