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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will expand access to cannabis, a much-awaited measure that will represent the most significant change in US drug policy in decades.
The order instructs the U.S. Attorney General to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic to a Schedule III drug, placing it in the same category as Tylenol with codeine.
Cannabis will remain illegal at the federal level. However, its reclassification as a Schedule III narcotic would allow for expanded research into its potential benefits.
Several Republican lawmakers opposed this measure, arguing that it could normalize cannabis consumption.
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency indicates that Schedule III narcotics, which also include ketamine and anabolic steroids, only have a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence."
The new classification also has tax implications for state-licensed cannabis dispensaries, as current regulations prohibit them from certain tax deductions if they sell Schedule I products.
In addition to the reclassification of cannabis, Trump has ordered White House officials to work with Congress to allow some Americans access to cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD.
As part of a new program announced within the framework of the order, some Medicaid health program beneficiaries will be able to access CBD, upon medical recommendation, at no cost.
