BREAKING: Trump signs executive order on marijuana

December 18, 2025

From the Washington Examiner: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon focused on speeding up the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III and driving new research into the medical uses of hemp-derived THC and CBD products.

Trump had vowed to reschedule marijuana on the 2024 campaign trail, an initiative started by President Joe Biden‘s administration back in 2023, and even called for loosening sentences for minor marijuana criminal offenses.

Thursday’s order does not amend federal criminal penalties for marijuana possession or institute any banking or taxing reforms for the cannabis industry, but senior administration officials said ahead of the president’s signing ceremony that the measure is specifically interested in researching the “potential medical benefits” and possible harms of marijuana use.

The 2018 farm bill included a provision legalizing the sale and possession of hemp-derived low-THC and CBD products. However, the latest government funding bill placed a firm limit, 2.4 milligrams or less of THC per container, on those products, effectively outlawing the majority of the hemp-derived products that have gone to market over the past seven years.

One official explained Thursday that Trump’s primary goal is to direct “a commonsense approach that will automatically start working to improve the medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors.”

The official also said the president “would like to distinguish that he still wants to restrict access, which we believe was the intent of Congress when they passed that provision restricting access, to products that have been on the market that caused serious health risks… These are commonly known as intoxicating hemp products.”

The Executive Order includes the following:

Directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “expedite the completion of the process of rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.”
Directs White House deputy chief of staff James Blair to work with Congress to “allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full spectrum CBD products, while still restricting the sale and access to products that cause serious and potentially life threatening health risks.”

The Hemp Industry and Farmers of America, a coalition of hemp industry advocates, posted the following response:

🚨President Trump’s Executive Order removes barriers to hemp research and improves access to cannabinoid products🚨
Today’s EO is a clear signal: Congress’s hemp ban is not the answer. The White House recognizes “the challenging legal landscape” and calls for commonsense regulatory solutions instead of prohibition.
The Hemp Industry is aligned with the Administration’s goals to improve access and inform standards of care through innovative research. We’re asking Congress to:
✅Remove the misguided hemp ban language
✅Pass a 24-month extension (30 months total to find viable solutions)
✅Listen to the 86% of Americans who support legal, responsibly regulated hemp
The President’s voice matters, but so does yours.
Tell Congress it’s time for legislative solutions, not prohibition. ⬇️
https://hifa.health/contact-your-lawmakers/