U.S. President Donald J. Trump is considering a move to recategorize marijuana as a less perilous drug under federal law. Citing people familiar with the matter, both outlets say the move shifting cannabis Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act was discussed privately during a high-dollar fundraiser last week at Trump’s New Jersey golf club.
The White House has issued no formal announcement, and no administrative order has been published. But the prospect has already stirred political, economic, and cultural debate in Washington and beyond.
Controlled substances drugs may be found within Schedules I through V. The drugs in Schedule I, for example, are drugs such as those of heroin, which is a drug having no accepted medical use and a high liability for abuse. The Schedule III, conversely, is where one can find accepted medical use and lower abuse potential drugs such as anabolic steroids and certain pain drugs.
This looks like rescheduling, not legalization. Although it would not legalize recreational use of marijuana across the nation, rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III would relax certain regulations on research as well as some rules surrounding taxation and commercial operations. The procedure involves official rulemaking through Department of Justice(DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and scientific evaluation through the Department of Health and Human Services.
In May 2024, the DOJ filed a rulemaking proposal to reschedule marijuana and thereby initiated a process that both includes public comment and DEA hearings. A crucial hearing set for January 2025 was canceled and the case has been in procedural purgatory ever since.
In July 2025, Terrance C. Cole was sworn in as DEA Administrator. He has promised to “carefully consider” the question but has not made rescheduling a top priority.
The latest push comes after an August 8–9 fundraiser in Bedminster, New Jersey, where cannabis industry executives, including Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, pressed Trump to act.
“We need to look at that,”
Trump reportedly told attendees, according to Reuters.
A move to Schedule III could have broad-based economic implications. Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code already prevents cannabis businesses from deducting the vast majority of typical expenses because marijuana is a Schedule I substance. Reclassification will presumably remove that obstacle, making licensed operators more profitable.
Banking access could also improve, although broader reforms like the SAFE Banking Act would still be needed for full integration into the financial system.
Schedule III status for researchers would eliminate most federal obstacles currently hampering clinical investigations of marijuana-based therapies.
Polling from Pew Research Center in January 2024 found that 57 percent of Americans support legalization for both medical and recreational use. Gallup surveys have put support in the 68–70 percent range in recent years.
That popularity contrasts with Trump’s earlier stance. In 2018, his administration rescinded the Obama-era Cole Memorandum, which had directed federal prosecutors to defer to state cannabis laws. Critics now question whether donor influence from companies like Trulieve, which have contributed to Trump-aligned political committees is shaping the policy shift.
A tweet from X.
Cannabis companies see rescheduling as a game-changer. Opponents, including some conservative groups, argue that loosening federal rules could increase youth use and strain law enforcement. Some within the White House also worry it could undermine police tools, such as using marijuana scent as probable cause for searches.
Should Trump go ahead, the move would simply involve DOJ/DEA rulemaking. That could take months, require new public hearings and potentially face court challenges. The move would be closely watched internationally, with Canada having federally legalized the drug in 2018 while stricter frameworks exist elsewhere
At present, the cannabis business, public health activists, and politicians all await the same question: Will the president make private discussion federal policy?
