US reclassifies certain marijuana products as a less-dangerous drug - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxQSm5NWThPVEhOSzV2ODlmUE9JY1Mwa0xfN19rT0pDdWF4NDNHbXU2cXljTW9Yc3YySlNvakpoUkxSNWdmQTRZdXRaZzA0elFYSTBHZU1PMTZvVUNJQjgwOTh4RUlfUkh4SDZMZWNfU2V2Y0tKMGxTX21KNnZDWmgybUpXSVhHOVVUOUhCa21ubzZDbXpyTkpSMUJ6dkt0RGl3andja3NkQ1pLeDlkMjZ0c29fSTdwNGpwaGlJV1NTZzI3LTgxWUE?oc=5" target="_blank">US reclassifies certain marijuana products as a less-dangerous drug</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

The U.S. Department of Justice is reclassifying FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Thursday. This move does not legalize marijuana across the United States but represents a significant federal change to marijuana policy, removing barriers to researching the drug's potential use. The decision is expected to reshape the cannabis industry by lowering tax burdens and making it easier for firms to secure funding. Shares of cannabis companies like Cronos Group, Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, and Tilray Brands jumped between 6% to 13% following the announcement.

The US Justice Department reclassified state-regulated marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a major shift that could dramatically increase legal cannabis sales in the coming years. The directive signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche moved licensed marijuana products from Schedule I—the same federal category as heroin and LSD—to the less strictly controlled Schedule III. The action stops short of fully legalizing the drug for recreational use nationwide but meets the demands of many advocates who have long argued for looser restrictions.

In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump’s acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law. This move acknowledges medical marijuana as having legitimate medical use and a lower potential for abuse, aligning federal regulation more closely with the 40 states that permit it. The reclassification allows licensed providers to receive major tax breaks and removes obstacles for cannabis research. However, it does not legalize marijuana federally. The order also signals broader reclassification plans, with a hearing set for June. Trump had ordered the process to accelerate in December 2025, expressing impatience with prior delays under the Biden administration.

The U.S. Department of Justice is reclassifying FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on April 23. The announcement does not legalize marijuana across the United States. In a post on X, Blanche said the Justice Department was 'immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.' The department is also initiating an expedited hearing to consider the broader rescheduling of marijuana, it said in a statement. The decision to reclassify marijuana represents one of the most significant federal changes to marijuana policy in decades, removing barriers to researching the drug's potential use. It will likely reshape the cannabis industry by lowering tax burdens and making it easier for firms to secure funding, benefiting companies like Canopy Growth, Tilray Brands, Trulieve Cannabis. U.S.-listed shares of cannabis companies jumped premarket following the decision. Shares of Cronos Group, Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, Tilray Brands jumped between 6% to 13%.