Watch: Trump orders reclassification of marijuana, lowering the drug schedule

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open up new avenues for medical research, a major shift in federal drug policy that comes close to what many states have done.

The switch would move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin and LSD. Instead, cannabis would be a Schedule III substance, like ketamine and some stimulants.

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The reclassification by the DEA would not make adult recreational use nationwide legal, but it could change how the drug is regulated and reduce the significant tax burden on the cannabis industry.

Likewise, the Justice Department under Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III substance. Unlike Biden, Trump did not receive open encouragement from across his party for the move. Some Republicans spoke out against any changes and urged Trump to maintain current standards.

Such a shift typically requires an arduous process, including a public comment period that attracted tens of thousands of responses from across the United States. The DEA was still in the review phase when Trump took office in January. Trump’s order is expected to speed up the process, although it was not immediately clear how long it might take.

Many states have legalized recreational use of marijuana for adults or permitted it for medical purposes. But US laws have remained stricter, which could leave people vulnerable to federal prosecution.

A Gallup poll shows that more Americans support a less restrictive approach: support for marijuana legalization has increased significantly, from just 36% in 2005 to 68% last year.

He watches: How marijuana reclassification could impact users, businesses and research

Trump’s order also calls for expanding research and access to CBD, a legal, hemp-derived product that is increasingly popular and whose benefits experts debate.

More than 20 Republican senators, many of them staunch Trump allies, signed a letter this year urging the president to keep marijuana a Schedule I drug. The group, led by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, said marijuana remains dangerous and that switching would “undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again.” They also argued that marijuana negatively impacts users’ physical and mental health, as well as road and workplace safety.

“The only winners from rescheduling are bad actors like Communist China, while Americans will be left footing the bill,” the letter read, referring to China’s position in the cannabis market.

As for decriminalizing marijuana, Trump had not previously committed to such a step, although he had been considering reclassifying it during most of his second term. He once said when he was a candidate that it should remain a state-by-state issue.

As president, he has made his campaign against other drugs, especially fentanyl, a feature of his second term, ordering U.S. military attacks on Venezuelan boats and others that the administration insists are transporting drugs.

He signed another executive order declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.

Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Seung-Min Kim contributed to this report.