President Donald Trump reiterated that his executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug is “very tough.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he was looking at the move, adding that “a lot of people want to see it happen”.
“It leads to a tremendous amount of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “So, we’re looking at it very strongly.”
Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has “no currently approved medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The classification puts the drug on the same level as heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
Several outlets reported that the White House is weighing whether to list marijuana as Schedule III, which is defined as “drugs with moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” Examples include codeine, ketamine and Tylenol mixed with testosterone.
According to an October 2024 YouGov poll, 69% of registered voters reclassified marijuana as a less-restricted drug, including 51% of Trump supporters and 86% of former Vice President Kamala Harris supporters. An August Morning Consultation poll found that nearly three-thirds of voters, or 61%, support reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug under federal law.
Trump’s statement follows his broad declaration of support for changing federal drug policy on the 2024 campaign trail. Two months before the election, he expressed his intention to vote in favor of an amendment to legalize marijuana for recreational use in his home state of Florida.
“As I’ve said before, I believe it’s time to end the unnecessary arrest and incarceration of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth social platform. “We must also implement smart rules, while providing access to a safe, tested product for adults.”
Former President Joe Biden’s administration also proposed moving the drug to the Schedule III category, although it did not come to fruition by the end of his term. Last year, the Department of Justice recommended that cannabis be moved to Schedule III, prompting a formal review by the DEA.
Trump’s announcement drew reactions from both sides of the political aisle.
“Praying that somehow President Trump doesn’t go ahead [this]” Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham wrote on Tuesday at X.
Rep. Mike Lawler (RN.Y) told NewsNation on Monday that “I think rescheduling marijuana is wrong.”
“The fact is, marijuana is a gateway drug,” Lawler said. “Most people who use hard substances start with marijuana.”
After Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) previously urged Trump to loosen restrictions on marijuana, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the president would “try to gaslight everyone into believing he just legalized pot.”
“He has not decriminalized cannabis or expunged the records of black and Latino Americans incarcerated for minor drug offenses,” Wyden wrote in X. “It’s just an attempt to boost his pathetic approval rating.”
According to the Washington Post, Trump met privately last week with marijuana industry officials, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Mehmet Oz to discuss plans to ease some federal restrictions on the drug. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) joined in via phone call, the outlet first reported.
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