Trump's week in review: Pentagon worship service, year-end address to the nation
5. Trump reclassifies marijuana
In an executive order published Thursday, Trump noted how a 2023 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration found that marijuana could be used to treat chronic pain as well as nausea and vomiting and anorexia. He lamented that “Decades of Federal drug control policy have neglected marijuana’s medical uses,” adding “That oversight has limited the ability of scientists and manufacturers to complete the necessary research on safety and efficacy to inform doctors and patients.
Trump explained how marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government, meaning that it has “no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.” He recalled how HHS recommended the reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule III drug in 2023, a category reserved for drugs “having a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances” in Schedule I” as well as “a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”
Schedule III drugs are also seen as having “a potential for moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence in the event of drug abuse.” The executive order authorized the U.S. Attorney General to “take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
