President Donald Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to move quickly on finalizing marijuana’s potential reclassification under federal law, following an executive order signed earlier this month.
According to The Marijuana Herald, which cited two sources close to the president, Trump privately instructed Bondi to complete the rescheduling process by the end of January. Neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Justice has publicly confirmed a specific deadline.
What is confirmed is the executive order itself. Signed last week, it directs the attorney general to “take all necessary steps” to complete the rulemaking process to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, “in the most expeditious manner in accordance with federal law.”
Any rescheduling decision must still follow the formal process led by DOJ, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, which recommended Schedule III placement in 2023. That means publication, procedural steps and potential delays remain part of the equation, even with political pressure to move quickly.
If finalized, Schedule III status would not legalize marijuana federally. Cannabis would remain illegal under federal law, and state markets would continue operating under the same patchwork system. The change would, however, eliminate the federal 280E tax penalty, expand research access and formally acknowledge accepted medical use.
For now, the takeaway is simple: the administration appears to be pushing for speed, but the timeline is still uncertain — and rescheduling, even if completed, would stop well short of legalization.
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