On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassified FDA‑approved marijuana products and state‑licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. This move is the first major federal action in over 50 years to change marijuana’s classification. 

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 established a five‑tier federal framework for regulating drugs based on abuse potential, medical utility and safety. Schedule I has always been the most restrictive, while Schedule IV is the least restrictive. When President Richard Nixon signed the act into law, marijuana landed in Schedule I alongside heroin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). This category is reserved for substances with high abuse potential, no accepted medical use and a lack of safety under medical supervision. 

That classification never changed, even as state laws evolved. Over the decades, dozens of states legalized medical or recreational marijuana, creating a stark contradiction: a substance widely used for medicine and recreation remained locked at the highest federal risk level. Rescheduling petitions to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) date back to the 1970s. However, federal rules kept marijuana in Schedule I. 

That long‑standing decision shifted when Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the rescheduling order, carrying out President Trump’s December 2025 executive order. This order aimed to expand medical marijuana and Cannabidiol (CBD) research. While FDA‑approved marijuana‑based products and state‑licensed medical marijuana move to Schedule III, bulk marijuana, recreational marijuana and synthetically derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) stay in Schedule I. 

“I believe that having marijuana at Schedule III is a fair classification,” an anonymous student, fearing social repercussions, said. “Marijuana affects everyone differently. I haven’t experienced any withdrawals from it after using it, but I know that other people do. So having it directly in the middle classification is fair to those who do experience those cravings or withdrawals.” 

For research institutions and businesses, the rescheduling removes long-standing barriers tied to Schedule I. Universities and medical centers can now conduct federally sanctioned studies on marijuana’s safety and efficacy. State-licensed medical marijuana operators can deduct standard business expenses on federal tax returns, sidestepping the punitive Section 280E penalties that once applied. Additionally, the DEA will fast-track federal registration for state-licensed medical producers, streamlining compliance. 

While the rescheduling removes long-standing barriers, it does not legalize marijuana outright. The drug remains a controlled substance subject to federal rules. Crucially, rescheduling neither decriminalizes marijuana nor legalizes it for recreational use at the federal level. 

As a Schedule III drug, marijuana will still be regulated by the DEA. That means thousands of dispensaries nationwide would have to register with the agency, just as pharmacies do. Critics warn that this comes with strict reporting requirements, a burden that dispensaries may resent and the DEA may not be ready to enforce. 

Some analysts predict a price hike for marijuana-based products. However, it is still unclear how the change will affect operations in states where licensed recreational shops also serve medical patients. Only time will tell whether prices for these products will mirror those of other goods in today’s market, such as groceries and gas.