President Trump may reclassify marijuana under federal law
President Donald Trump said decisions will come in the coming weeks regarding the reclassification of marijuana.
President Donald Trump is trying to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug under federal law.
Speaking to reporters at the White House briefing room on August 11, Trump said the decision could be made in the coming weeks.
Since 1970, the federal government has classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as highly dangerous, addictive and unmedical use. In 2024, the Drug Enforcement Bureau proposed rules for transferring marijuana to Schedule III, which contain drugs such as ketamine and testosterone.
Trump said the decision is complicated and will weigh the benefits of marijuana use for medical reasons against potential social impacts.
“Some people like it, some people don’t like it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana,” he said.
Rafael Cuomo, a biomedical scientist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said the move is mostly good for science, research and medicine.
“Rescheduling can facilitate potential benefits and harm and improve oncology, pain and palliative care administration guidance and drug interaction data,” he said.
It also improves quality control for cannabinoids approved by the Food and Drug Administration, speeds up high-quality clinical trials, improves product standardization, and “answer clinical questions important to patients,” Cuomo said.
But it’s not all good.
Cuomo said that marijuana reclassification could be perceived as a “safety approval” as weight and daily use continue to rise.
In 2022, marijuana surpassed high-frequency drinking for the first time, according to a 2024 survey published in Journal Addiction. An estimated 17.7 million people used marijuana every day or almost daily, compared to 14.7 million drinkers every day.
Between 1992 and 2022, the per capita reporting rate of daily or almost daily marijuana use increased 15 times, the study found. Approximately 40% of cannabis users reported doing it every day or almost every day.
Research shows that long-term or severe cannabis use can cause brain and mental health effects such as memory disorders, psychotic disorders and psychosis, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
It can also stimulate the lungs and cause daily cough, bronchitis, mucus and wheezing, and recent research shows that it can have some cardiovascular risks. Some people who use cannabis a lot cannabis and start vomiting without being able to stop it. This is a condition called cannabinoid overexpression syndrome, which can be reversed by stopping marijuana use.
If the administration decides to reclassify marijuana, Cuomo said officials should also focus their public messaging efforts to include warnings for young people, individuals with history of pregnancy, driving, and mental illness.
“Risk awareness often moves faster than policy,” he said.
Contributed by: Sarah D. Wire, USA Today; Reuters.
Adrianna Rodriguez can visit adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
