President Donald J. Trump is expected to issue a landmark executive order reclassifying marijuana at the federal level — aligning it with over-the-counter painkillers rather than hard narcotics like heroin.
The move would mark a major shift in federal drug policy and comes as cannabis continues to gain acceptance in red and blue states alike. According to senior Republican aides, Trump discussed the plan this week with House Speaker Mike Johnson and several high-level cannabis industry executives.
White House insiders say the order will direct federal agencies — including the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration — to downgrade marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, opening the door for increased medical research and safer access, while still maintaining key restrictions.
“It’s time to end the hypocrisy,” Trump reportedly told allies on Wednesday. “We’re not putting grandmas in prison for arthritis relief anymore.”
Under current federal law, marijuana is still listed in the same drug category as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy — a classification dating back to the Nixon era. But with 24 states now allowing recreational cannabis and 40 permitting medical use, Trump’s move could finally bridge the yawning gap between state and federal law.
Notably, this isn’t new territory for the president. In September 2025, Trump supported a Florida state measure decriminalizing small-scale cannabis possession. He explained his stance on Truth Social at the time:
“We must end needless arrests. Adults should have access to safe, tested marijuana. And we should study its medical uses — not block them.”
The reclassification is already exposing divides inside Trump’s cabinet. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., once an advocate for decriminalization, has more recently warned about the “catastrophic impacts” of widespread marijuana use and declined to publicly endorse reclassification.
Congressional Republicans appear more enthusiastic.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) has long pushed for marijuana reform, introducing a reclassification bill as far back as 2019. GOP lawmakers Brian Mast and David Joyce have echoed those calls in recent years.
But it was former Rep. Matt Gaetz who offered the most striking endorsement.
“If President Trump does this, the game is over for Democrats at the ballot box,” Gaetz said.
“We could be the party that lets people use marijuana without pretending it’s for your glaucoma-ridden cat. It’s populism meets practicality.”
Legal contradictions across the country have created confusion — and in some cases, criminal charges — even in states where cannabis is legal.
Cannabis can be sold legally in California and Oregon, but carrying it across state lines is still a federal offense. Credit card companies remain legally barred from processing purchases at dispensaries, leaving cannabis sales largely cash-based.
Even with growing state-level support, federal banking and transportation laws haven’t caught up. Trump’s executive order wouldn’t legalize marijuana nationwide, but it would strip away the most punitive classifications — and signal a broader embrace of state rights.
A 2023 poll of Republican voters showed that two-thirds supported ending the federal prohibition on marijuana — a number that’s only grown since.
In a rare policy area where libertarians, moderates, and even many evangelicals are finding common ground, Trump may be betting big on consensus.
The executive order — if issued — would likely take effect early next year. It would not require congressional approval but could influence future Republican legislative efforts on cannabis banking, research, and veterans’ access to medical marijuana
For Trump, this isn’t just about weed. It’s about flipping the script — again. By co-opting an issue Democrats long claimed as their own, he’s positioning the GOP as the party of liberty, medical innovation, and common sense.
And once again, he’s forcing his critics to play catch-up.
“Smart regulation. Safe access. Strong states. That’s the future,” a senior Trump advisor said Thursday. “And the president is leading the way — just like he always does.”
SOURCE LINKS:
- Washington Post report
- [Truth Social – @realDonaldTrump September 2025 post]
- FDA Schedule Classification Explanation
- Pew Research 2023 Poll on GOP Support for Marijuana Reform
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No Trump better not do that! We do not want everyone on Marijuana! Tell Trump to grow up!!!!!!Our Roads are bad enough with idiots looking at phones, idiots driving crazy.What the heck is wrong with him! Does the stinking Government want all our kids on drugs? Our kids will be on drugs while his hide away in a prestigious school.NO!!!! do not do it!! Donald Trump I did not vote for you to do this!! This is very foolish!! Our Country is falling apart at the center. There is no decency anymore!!Do NOT Make this drug legal!Would you want to go to a doctor that\’s high and acting stupid TAKING CARE OF YOUR FAMILY, YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, ? Would you want your kid driving on the street next to a trucker that\’s high?DON\’T THINK SO!!!! Tell ya what, I expect this from stupid Mayor Pete, and Gruesome Newsome, and Tampon Time, that\’s the ONLY way they will get elected. But I expected more from you!!!! I guess a politician is a politician after all!!! ANYTHING FOR VOTES!! RIGHT!!What if your pilot on Air Force One was high?? Would you like that??????
Big mistake. Marijuana laced with THC and Worse, fentanyl on the street, is going to be lumped together. Every state that has legalized Marijuana has lived to regret it. Ask anyone walking down the streets of Manhattan, people getting high, 6am.
While there is a place for CBD for seizure disorders and pain for cancer patients, legalizing it across the board is a huge mistake. The most vocal MD’s who specialize in Brain health show emphatically the changes of the frontal cortex, the executive management, are destroyed over time. And depression and anxiety are actually worsened.
States where pot is legal show increase in driving accidents and health issues 100% related to abuse of Marijuana.
Medical review of the medical need with no other alternative should be what drives MD’s to prescribe Marijuana. It is a gateway drug, and the new variations cause severe psychosis as well.
If Trump follows through with making marijuana a pain medicine rather than a narcotic it will be a disaster for America.
Dr. Ray Ellis