Trump administration moves to ease restrictions on medical marijuana

BREAKING NEWSApr. 23, 2026, 12:59 PM UTCJustice DepartmentJustice DepartmentTrump administration moves to ease restrictions on medical marijuanaActing Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was signing an order to reschedule state-licensed and FDA-approved marijuana as a Schedule III substance.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A worker trims cannabis plants inside a greenhouse.Eilon Paz / Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Megan LebowitzThe Justice Department on Thursday announced that it was moving to ease restrictions on state-licensed medical marijuana, opening the door for more research and treatment options.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post to X that he had signed an executive order to immediately reschedule FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III and ordered an "expedited hearing" to fully reschedule the drug.Schedule I drugs, which also include heroin, ecstasy and LSD, are considered to be more dangerous and are more strictly regulated. Blanche said that the FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana would now be classified as Schedule III, which is defined as "drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence."This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMegan LebowitzMegan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.Gary Grumbach contributed.