On December 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that has sent ripples across the United States: marijuana, long classified as one of the most dangerous controlled substances, will now be reclassified from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug at the federal level. While this move does not legalize marijuana nationwide, it marks a significant shift in federal drug policy and has sparked spirited debate, hope, and uncertainty from coast to coast.
For decades, marijuana sat at the top of the federal government’s list of controlled substances, alongside heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. Schedule I drugs are deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. By moving marijuana to Schedule III—a category that includes ketamine and some anabolic steroids—the federal government acknowledges, at least in part, the plant’s potential medical applications and a lower risk profile. According to the Des Moines Register, this change will allow more research on marijuana and make CBD, the nonintoxicating compound in cannabis, easier to access. However, the order does not decriminalize marijuana federally, and federal law enforcement retains the authority to make marijuana-related arrests.
“Right now, marijuana in Schedule I is considered more dangerous than fentanyl,” said Margaret Brumm, a cannabis law specialist and adjunct assistant professor at Northern Michigan University, in an interview with WLUC. “It is a commonsense thing to do.” Brumm further explained that the strict Schedule I status made legitimate research nearly impossible, with only a handful of universities able to meet the federal government’s criteria. “We need to have researchers researching like any other drug to figure out how and why it works so we can use it effectively and safely.”
But before any of these changes become law, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) must give its approval. Until then, marijuana’s new classification remains a proposal, not a reality. This regulatory uncertainty leaves businesses and patients in a state of limbo, waiting for the next steps.
For cannabis businesses, the reclassification could be a game changer. Stosh Wasik, owner and CEO of The Fire Station dispensary in Michigan, told WLUC, “We are hoping that this is going to start laying the groundwork, and start setting up the framework, for us to be able to start accepting debit and/or credit cards.” Currently, federal restrictions force cannabis transactions to be cash-only, a practice that complicates operations and increases security risks. Wasik also highlighted the potential tax benefits: “Previously, the only thing we were able to expense was cost of goods, and now we’re able to expense everything like any standard business expense.”
States, however, remain the ultimate arbiters of marijuana legality within their borders. In Iowa, for instance, recreational cannabis is still illegal. Medical marijuana is permitted only for approved patients, who are limited to possessing no more than 4.5 grams of THC over a 90-day period. The Des Moines Register notes that the new executive order does not alter Iowa’s laws or those of other states with restrictive cannabis policies. Neighboring states have taken a variety of approaches: Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri have fully legalized marijuana, while Nebraska and South Dakota allow medical but not recreational use. Wisconsin and Kansas restrict both, though they permit CBD oil with no THC.
The federal reclassification intersects with another major development: a November 2025 appropriations bill that will restrict hemp products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container, effective November 13, 2026. This new law, passed by Congress, will outlaw many THC-infused drinks and most current CBD products on the market. Joe Salome, co-founder of the Georgia Hemp Company, told WALB, “The recent legislation has tightened the hemp rules. They changed the definition of THC to include total THC. They capped intoxicating cannabinoids and closed loopholes for a lot of synthetics. That complicates rescheduling. Federal boundaries need to be clarified.”
Despite these challenges, Salome sees the executive order as progress. “This is a win,” he said. “It aligns federal policy closer to science and public opinion. It helps patients with chronic pain, cancer, seizures, all these different things.” Georgia, which has allowed low-THC cannabis oil for medical use since 2015, remains in a legal gray area due to federal laws. Salome believes the order is a step toward reducing stigma and increasing access, even if regulatory hurdles remain.
In Connecticut, where recreational marijuana sales are legal, the executive order has been welcomed by industry leaders. Rino Ferrarese, president of Affinity Grow, told WFSB, “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.” He explained that federal-state legal conflicts create operational headaches for cannabis companies, particularly around taxes and banking. Federal law currently prevents cannabis businesses from deducting standard business expenses and limits their access to traditional banking services. Ferrarese, who has built his company over the past decade, noted, “It’s far safer than it’s ever been. There is a lot of testing. An extreme amount of testing. It’s the only industry in the world I know of that requires third party testing.”
The reclassification is also expected to open doors for expanded medical research. Adam Wood of the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce told WFSB, “There is medical benefit to cannabis and this allows different industries and higher institutions and researchers to study how we can use cannabis to provide for medical relief.” The executive order specifically calls for more research on hemp and CBD products, which could lead to new treatments and therapies in the future.
Yet, the move is not without its critics. In Nebraska, where voters approved medical marijuana in 2024, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Senator Pete Ricketts have voiced strong opposition. According to WOWT, Hilgers, along with attorneys general from seven other states, released a statement saying they are “concerned” with the order and believe marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug. Senator Ricketts and 14 other Republican senators signed a letter arguing that marijuana is linked to mental health issues, impaired driving, and workplace accidents. Local medical marijuana advocate Lia Post, however, disagrees. “It just comes to the point, when is enough enough?” she said. Post emphasized that the federal change would allow the FDA to study marijuana’s medical uses, potentially helping veterans, seniors, and people with chronic pain. “It is a big deal, it is change, and change is always a big deal. Anything to do with medical cannabis and politics, I have to find the joy in whatever small wins there are, because there are so few.”
Public opinion appears to be on the side of reform. According to a Gallup survey cited by the Des Moines Register, 64% of Americans now support marijuana legalization, up from 36% two decades ago. While support has dipped recently among Republicans, the overall trend reflects growing acceptance and desire for change.
Former President Joe Biden had previously ordered a review of marijuana’s classification in 2022, and his administration proposed a rule to reschedule marijuana in 2024. However, that proposal has been on hold since March 2025. Trump’s executive order now takes up the mantle, directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the process and urging Congress to update the definition of hemp-derived products in light of the new restrictions.
As the DEA considers the reclassification and states grapple with their own evolving laws, the country stands at a crossroads. The executive order may not have legalized marijuana, but it has undeniably shifted the conversation—and perhaps, just perhaps, brought the nation a step closer to resolving decades of conflict and confusion over cannabis.
