President’s Executive Order Rescheduling Cannabis:
Comment by Igor Grant, MD, Director of UC San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
December 18, 2025
The Executive Order signed today by the President marks a pivotal shift in federal drug policy regarding Cannabis sativa L. (aka cannabis or marijuana). Most significantly, the decision to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III is a long-awaited public acknowledgement by the federal government that cannabis possesses accepted medical and therapeutic value. This move is consistent with the 2023 recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and aligns federal classification with the substantial body of evidence that researchers, including those here at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at UC San Diego, have been compiling for decades regarding its therapeutic efficacy.
“For almost twenty-five years, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research has worked to provide scientific evidence on the therapeutic potential of cannabis, often navigating a complex regulatory landscape,” said Igor Grant, M.D., Director of the CMCR. “Seeing the federal government formally recognize that the medical value of cannabis outweighs its potential for abuse is a validation of the rigorous work done by the scientific community. It signals a move toward policy that is driven by data rather than stigma.”
However, while the Executive Order is a positive development, the practical implications for academic research remain to be fully seen. “It is not yet entirely clear how this rescheduling will alter the day-to-day reality for researchers investigating cannabis and cannabinoids,” Dr. Grant cautioned. “While Schedule III is less restrictive than Schedule I, it remains a controlled substance category that requires DEA registration and strict, albeit less strict, compliance protocols. We are cautiously optimistic that this will streamline the approval process for clinical trials, but we must wait to see how the new rulemaking is implemented before determining if the bureaucratic burden on researchers will be significantly reduced.”
“However,” Dr. Grant noted “the Executive Order does not necessarily facilitate research into the products many people are actually using. We need better harmonization of Federal and State laws. Researchers need to be able to study products that are available in States that allow consumption of cannabis products regulated by those States without running the risk of sanctions due to noncompliance with Federal policy. Understanding the risks and benefits of such products should be a high public health priority.”
The Executive Order also highlights the need to address the complexities of hemp-derived cannabinoids and CBD products. “The directive to differentiate between safe access to full-spectrum CBD and the regulation of high-THC hemp products is a critical step for patient safety,” Dr. Grant added. “As we move forward, our hope is that this new federal posture will facilitate not just easier access to research materials, but also the funding and support necessary to conduct the large-scale clinical studies required to separate fact from myth when it comes to medical use of cannabis.”
Read the Executive Order and accompanying Fact Sheet.