The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to reclassify marijuana under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, a move that will ease barriers to medical research into applications for cannabis and CBD products but will leave in place federal prohibitions on recreational use of the drug.
President Donald Trump announced the move during a Thursday Oval Office signing ceremony alongside cannabis industry representatives and Health and Human Services officials.
“This action has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems and more, including numerous veterans with service related injuries and older Americans who live with chronic medical problems and severely degrade their quality of life,” he said.
Trump said he had received more phone calls urging him to reschedule cannabis than on any other issue and suggested that the issue enjoys support from 82 percent of Americans. But he also emphasized that the action does not legalize marijuana for recreational use under federal law.
It “in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug — has nothing to do with it,” he said.
“It's never safe to use powerful controlled substances in a recreational manners, and especially in this case,” he said. “So unless a drug is recommended by a doctor for medical reasons, just don't do it.”
A senior administration official told reporters that Trump’s order directs the Attorney General to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III under the Controlled Substance Act.
“The President is very focused on the potential medical benefits, and he has directed a common sense approach that will automatically will start working to improve the medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. That's the primary goal,” he said.
The official also said the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs would be directed to ensure Congress passes legislation to give Americans access to "appropriate full spectrum CBD products, while still restricting the sale and access to products that pose serious and potentially life-threatening health risks."
Trump's intent, the official said, 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 us, 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," they added.
The official also stated Trump is "very focused" on ensuring that "people that are using medical marijuana, especially in their in their state regulated programs, have better research that can inform both them and their doctors."
A second official told reporters Trump's order was part of his effort to "deliver on his promises to improve health care for all Americans" and said the president sees rescheduling marijuana as "a common sense action that will let us better study and understand medical marijuana and CBD, the potential for patients, but also better understand the risks."
