Trump’s Justice Department Could Reclassify Marijuana As A Safer Drug Wednesday

BreakingBusinessBreaking NewsTrump’s Justice Department Could Reclassify Marijuana As A Safer Drug WednesdayByZachary Folk,Forbes Staff. I cover breaking news.Follow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 03:51pm EDTApr 22, 2026, 03:56pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplineThe Justice Department could officially reschedule marijuana as a Schedule III drug as soon as Wednesday, multiple outlets reported, removing it from the Schedule I category that also includes heroin and LSD—finally following through on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in December.President Trump previously directed the Justice Department to reschedule the drug in a December executive order.Getty ImagesKey FactsThe move will not legalize marijuana, but instead move it from Schedule I to Schedule III.Schedule III drugs have a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” and include anabolic steroids, ketamine and products with less than 90 milligrams of codeine, such as Tylenol with codeine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.Rescheduling marijuana as Schedule III will make it easier for medical researchers to conduct studies with the drug.The Justice Department has not officially confirmed when the rescheduling will happen, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer', '1'); script.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); iframeDoc.body.appendChild(script); }; document.head.appendChild(iframe); const preloadResourcesEndpoint = 'https://cds.elements.video/a/preload-resou...