Trump expected to sign an order moving to reclassify cannabis and open up medical potential

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would fast-track the reclassification of cannabis and acknowledge its medical benefits.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week that would fast-track the reclassification of cannabis and acknowledge its medical benefits for the first time at the federal level, four people with direct knowledge of the plans told NBC News.

Cannabis is classified in the same category as heroin and LSD under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Moving the drug from Schedule I to Schedule III would ease regulatory hurdles and allow the Food and Drug Administration to study cannabis for medical purposes, potentially opening it up for wider medical use by seniors, veterans and others as a pharmaceutical, irrespective of state laws.

The executive order would not make cannabis legal at the federal level, however.

Trump on Monday said his administration is “considering” the move. “We are considering that because a lot of people want to see it — the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify. So, we are looking at that very strongly,” Trump told reporters.

The executive order is expected to direct the Drug Enforcement Administration administrator or Attorney General Pam Bondi to conclude the formal rescheduling process, which has been ongoing for more than a year, and move to publish the final rule that would reclassify cannabis to Schedule III, the four people with knowledge of the plans said.