JOURNAL ARTICLE

U.S. moves to reclassify some types of marijuana as lower risk: Long-awaited policy shift could ease barriers for scientists who study the drug.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2026. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Jacobs, Phie 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on a recent policy change under President Donald Trump's administration that reclassifies certain cannabis products from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing restrictions on medical marijuana research. This shift reduces regulatory burdens for scientists studying cannabis, particularly products regulated by state medical marijuana licenses and FDA-approved cannabis-derived medicines, while recreational marijuana remains federally illegal. The Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plan to consider broader rescheduling through an expedited hearing process, potentially expanding research opportunities and patient access. The reclassification effort began under President Joe Biden and was revived by Trump to facilitate more rigorous scientific investigation into cannabis’s medical benefits and risks. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2026/04, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Political Science
  • Publication Date:2026
  • Accession Number:193254356
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Sciencemag.org is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.