Trump Signs Executive Orders Backing Major Shift In Federal Marijuana Policy

In a move that could mark a turning point in America’s long and often punitive approach to marijuana, President Donald Trump on Thursday, December 18, signed an order recommending the easing of federal regulations on cannabis. The directive signals a potential rollback of decades of strict anti-marijuana policy and opens the door to significant changes in how the drug is treated at the national level.

According to senior administration officials, Trump’s order instructs the attorney general to move swiftly toward reclassifying marijuana under federal law. If completed, the change would place cannabis in a category alongside drugs such as common prescription painkillers, ketamine, and testosterone, substances considered less dangerous than those in the most restrictive classification.

Such a shift would represent one of the most consequential federal marijuana policy changes in decades. While marijuana would remain illegal under federal law, the reclassification could reshape the cannabis industry, reduce criminal penalties, and remove long-standing barriers for researchers, banks, and investors. Still, cannabis laws would continue to vary widely across states, preserving a complex patchwork of regulations nationwide.