In 2024, the DEA proposed rules to move marijuana to Schedule III. The changes to that rule have been pending since March 2025.
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President Donald Trump said his administration is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
“We are considering reclassification and will build resolve over the next few weeks,” Trump said at an August 11 press conference.
Although 45 states have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, the federal government still classifies it as a Schedule I drug.
In 2022, then-President Joe Biden asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Agency to review how marijuana is scheduled. In 2023, Health and Human Services recommended that marijuana be moved to Schedule III. In 2024, the DEA proposed rules to move marijuana to Schedule III. The changes to that rule have been pending since March 2025.
The reclassification of marijuana is the biggest change in the federal government’s marijuana policy since the drug was first banned, but it does not legalize recreational use under federal law.
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug that has been defined as being extremely dangerous, addictive and unmedical use since the Controlled Substances Act was signed in 1970.
When rescheduled as Schedule III, marijuana is treated in the same way as drugs like Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids.
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.
