President Donald Trump is considering an executive order to downgrade the classification of marijuana, reported The Washington Post on Thursday evening.
“Trump discussed the plan with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) in a Wednesday phone call from the Oval Office, said four of the people, who, like the others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly,” said the report. “The president is expected to seek to ease access to the drug through an upcoming executive order that directs federal agencies to pursue reclassification, the people said.”
Johnson tried to persuade Trump against the idea, according to the report, and no final decision has been made. Even if Trump goes through with it, he can’t unilaterally order marijuana rescheduled, but simply order the Justice Department to expedite the existing process for doing so.
Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and a number of hallucinogens — a classification that is supposed to be reserved for dangerous, highly addictive drugs with no recognized clinical use, even though experts have for years recognized it is far less hazardous than many less-regulated substances and has some potential medical applications.
Under the reclassification, it would be a Schedule III drug, which would put it in the same category as anabolic steroids or common prescription painkillers. This would make it far easier to manufacture and prescribe under federal law, though it would still be subject to some restrictions.
Before Trump, former President Joe Biden had also ordered federal agencies to explore the feasibility of rescheduling marijuana, but hadn’t made a final decision while in office. He also advocated the end of all laws that would make simple possession of the drug a jailable offense.
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