Federal Drug Policy

President Trump on Dec. 18 signed an executive order directing agencies to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III — grouping it with drugs like Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids — aiming to expand medical research and launch a Medicare pilot to cover CBD (with CMS saying coverage could begin as early as April). Legal experts note the Controlled Substances Act does not give presidents unilateral rescheduling power, and the administration may instead use DOJ’s Section 811 "fast‑track" authority to complete the move without full rulemaking; rescheduling would not by itself legalize cannabis or automatically erase federal criminal penalties, drawing criticism from Republican lawmakers.