UPDATE, 8:45 AM ET, April 23, 2026: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has officially signed an order rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Story updated below with full details.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has signed an order rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This is the most significant federal cannabis policy shift in decades. It is not legalization — and it does not cover recreational cannabis. Here’s what actually changed.
The Trump administration officially moved Thursday to reclassify marijuana under federal law. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order moving FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, confirming the action in an official statement and posting directly on X. The announcement was reported by the Associated Press. Blanche outlined a two-track approach: immediate rescheduling of FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III, and a new expedited hearing process — with set deadlines beginning June 29 — to consider the full rescheduling of all marijuana.
“Under the decisive leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare,” Blanche wrote. “These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and efficacy, expanding patients’ access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions.”
Under the decisive leadership of @POTUS, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl• Ordering a new,… pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) April 23, 2026
The move follows a December 18 executive order in which President Trump directed the attorney general to complete the rescheduling …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
