Trump reclassifies marijuana in bold move angering some of his closest Republican allies

By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 13:39, 23 April 2026 | Updated: 13:42, 23 April 2026 Donald Trump has moved to reclassify cannabis following a months-long federal review of the drug and its current restrictions. The President's acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana on Thursday.  He said the effort was 'delivering on President Trump’s promise' to expand medical options for Americans.  'This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,' Blanche's statement said.  The shift marks a significant step toward loosening federal barriers on marijuana. The order establishes a system for marijuana producers to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and helps legitimize the 40 medical cannabis programs within the states that have passed laws adopting the shops.  Trump ordered the review in December, targeting cannabis's Schedule I designation - a category reserved for drugs like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. The reclassification is expected to ease limits on research and expand legal use. 'The Administration continues to expeditiously implement President Trump's December executive order to increase medical marijuana research to close the gap between current medical marijuana use and medical knowledge,' a White House official told the Daily Mail on Wednesday. Steps to reschedule cannabis could come as soon as this week, Axios reported on Wednesday The president signed an order to advance reclassification in December 2025, citing the benefits of cannabis for medical use as a common sense decision The official said 'specifics related to possible reclassification' would come from the Department of Justice. The DOJ did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment.  The Drug Enforcement Administration is planning to announce an administrative hearing on the rescheduling, two people familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.  The administration's plan would move to classify cannabis as a Schedule III substance, which is the same category as prescription painkillers, ketamine and anabolic steroids.  However, rescheduling cannabis is broadly unpopular among congressional Republicans. Shortly after Trump announced in December that he was prioritizing rescheduling, 22 GOP Senators and 26 Republican House members sent letters urging the President against the effort.  'We don't need rescheduling to do medical research on marijuana- all we are doing is exposing more of our youth to an addictive drug,' Congressman Andy Harris, chairman of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, said at the time.  But Trump fought back against claims that the reclassification effort would lead to additional drug use. Additionally, the President himself has long abstained from drinking alcohol or using drugs.  'It doesn't legalize marijuana in any way, shape or form,' he said. 'And in no way sanctions its use for a recreational drug,' Trump said during his December announcement.  The president pointedly repeated his opposition to the use of illegal drugs. Your browser does not support iframes. 'I always told my kids don't take drugs,' Trump said, telling America's youth to 'just don't do it.' Kim Rivers, the CEO of cannabis dispensary Trulieve, lobbied Trump for months to get the regulatory rollback.  Her organization donated to Trump, attended fundraisers and raised the rescheduling issue with White House aides repeatedly before the President sided with her.  'It was a little surreal,' she told the Wall Street Journal of her successful effort resulting in Trump's decision to reclassify the plant.  Senior administration officials described the December order as the president keeping his 2024 campaign promise. Trump announced support for rescheduling the drug in 2024 to allow 'research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana' even though he expressed his desire to ban its use in public spaces to prevent the smell from affecting cities. Cannabis stock prices jumped on Wednesday after Axios first reported that the administrative change could be coming within days.  Canopy Growth Corp stock spiked over 20 percent, while Tilray's stock price jumped up 15 percent.  The change would reshape the cannabis industry by enabling companies in the space to more easily secure loans and funding that have previously been stifled due to strict federal regulations.  It would also lower the tax burdens on cannabis companies.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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