The United States reclassified medical marijuana as a lower-risk drug and facilitates the therapeutic use of cannabis

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reported in X that, with this step, the Department of Justice fulfilled the promise of “improve American health care” made by President Donald Trump, who last December signed an executive order to reduce restrictions on cannabis for medicinal use.

Blanche announced today “the immediate reclassification of the marijuana approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and of the state licensed marijuana“, which will now go from category I of drugs to III, less regulated and which includes, for example, ketamine.

Category I is reserved for drugs without defined medical use and with high addictive potential, such as heroin and ecstasy.

The official also announced the intention to hold “a new accelerated hearing, with established deadlines, to reclassify marijuana in its entirety” which could take place next June.

“These actions will allow us to carry out more rigorous and specific investigations on the safety and effectiveness of marijuana, expanding patient access to treatments and empowering physicians to make more informed healthcare decisions,” Blanche added in her message.

Recreational cannabis use is legal in the US in 24 states and Washington DC, but not at the federal level.

The Trump Administration and especially the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have promoted measures to expand researchers’ access to restricted substances that can be used in alternative treatments for cancer patients and serious mental health disorders.

In addition to signing the executive order last year to reclassify cannabis, Trump also signed a directive this Saturday to promote research into psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin and ibogaine as new treatment options for people with serious mental illness and depression.

The measure also includes a commitment of about $50 million through existing Department of Health funds to support states that develop psychedelic programs for serious mental illnesses.