Trump administration expected to reclassify marijuana, easing research restrictions

The Trump administration is expected to move to reclassify marijuana as soon as April 23, an administration official familiar with the matter told Axios, in a step that could significantly ease federal restrictions on cannabis research in the United States.

The proposed change would not legalise marijuana, but it would reduce regulatory barriers imposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), making it easier to study its potential medical applications.

However, officials stressed that the move would not immediately affect criminal sentences for those already incarcerated on marijuana-related charges.

Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I substance under U.S. federal law, alongside drugs such as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy—categories reserved for substances considered to have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use.

Under the proposed change, marijuana would be moved into a lower schedule, placing it in the same category as drugs such as ketamine and steroids.

A drug’s scheduling is determined “based upon the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability,” according to the DEA.

The policy shift follows a directive reportedly signed by President Donald Trump in December, instructing the attorney general to advance efforts previously initiated under former President Joe Biden to reconsider marijuana’s federal classification.

At the time, Trump said the move “has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems, and more.”

By Sabina Mammadli