in effect
Executive Order 14370, signed December 18, 2025, directs federal agencies to speed up the reclassification of marijuana under federal drug law and to develop better research and regulatory frameworks for both medical marijuana and CBD products. It does not itself change marijuana’s legal status but instructs the relevant officials to complete that process as quickly as the law allows.
The Attorney General is directed to finalize, as fast as legally possible, the existing proposed rule that would move marijuana from Schedule I (no accepted medical use, high abuse potential) to Schedule III (accepted medical use, lower abuse potential) of the Controlled Substances Act — a rulemaking that has been pending since May 2024 with roughly 43,000 public comments already filed. A White House legislative affairs official is directed to work with Congress to update the legal definition of hemp-derived cannabinoid products so that full-spectrum CBD products containing THC above a per-container threshold are not automatically treated as controlled marijuana when a provision of Public Law 119-37 takes effect. HHS, FDA, CMS, and NIH are directed to develop research methods using real-world evidence to study the health outcomes of medical marijuana and legal CBD products, with particular attention to long-term effects in vulnerable groups such as adolescents and seniors. A regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoids is to be developed, including guidance on upper THC limits per serving, per-container limits, and CBD-to-THC ratio requirements.
Researchers and manufacturers currently restricted by Schedule I rules would gain easier legal access to marijuana for clinical study if rescheduling is completed. Patients — particularly the more than 6 million registered medical marijuana users, the roughly 1 in 5 adults using CBD, and seniors who may be on multiple medications — would be affected by any resulting changes to product labeling standards, prescribing guidance, and insurance or Medicare/Medicaid coverage. Healthcare providers who currently lack FDA-approved guidance on dosing and drug interactions would receive clearer standards if the directed research and regulatory frameworks are completed.