Trump signs executive order expediting marijuana reclassification after lobbying from cannabis industry

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expedite the reclassification of marijuana – an effort to increase research on its medical use but not fully legalize it.

“This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “It’s going to have a tremendously positive impact.”

The order — which directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to hasten the process of loosening federal restrictions but does not include a timeline, according to senior administration officials — comes after an intensive lobbying campaign from the cannabis industry.

Cannabis is currently considered a Schedule 1 drug, along with heroin, LSD and ecstasy, which are not considered to have any acceptable medical use, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will eventually be reclassified as a Schedule III drug, which, according to the DEA, have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”

“The facts compel the federal government to recognize that marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered. In some cases, this may include the use as a substitute for addictive and potentially lethal opioid painkillers,” Trump said, calling the move “common sense.”

Trump’s action does not federally legalize marijuana, though the drug is already legal in several states. The order does not affect recreational marijuana and does not include any criminal justice changes.

It also calls on White House aides to work with Congress to allow access to “appropriate full-spectrum CBD products,” according to the senior administration officials, and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to research broader access to hemp-derived CBD products.

This is a developing story and will be updated.