Todd Blanche orders federal reclassification of medical marijuana as less dangerous

Published April 23, 2026 11:12am ET | Updated April 23, 2026 12:58pm ET



Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order on Thursday officially reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a less-regulated Schedule III drug, following President Donald Trump’s order to do so in December.

The rescheduling move will relax federal regulations on FDA-approved cannabis products, grouping them with substances such as anabolic steroids and ketamine rather than substances like heroin and LSD. Schedule III substances have an accepted medical use, while Schedule I substances, which have the highest abuse rates, do not have an accepted medical use.

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