President Trump reclassifies marijuana as less dangerous drug

Trump orders marijuana reclassification

President Trump signed an executive order to re-classify marijuana, easing restrictions on the drug. Some are excited about how the reclassification paves the way for more research, but others warn of its own set of challenges it could bring.

AUSTIN, Texas - President Trump signed an executive order to re-classify marijuana, easing restrictions on the drug.

However, this order does not make cannabis legal.

Some are excited about how the reclassification paves the way for more research, but others warn of its own set of challenges it could bring.

Reclassifying marijuana

The backstory:

President Donald Trump took a major step to reclassify marijuana.

"The facts compel the federal government to recognize that marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered," said Trump.

The order removes cannabis from its Schedule I status and reclassifies it to a Schedule III status. Schedule I drugs are among the most dangerous, including substances like heroin, ecstasy and ISD.

"Cannabis was schedule one alongside heroin for 50 years. We're finally acknowledging what most Americans know is that cannabis just isn't that dangerous," said Heather DeFazio, Director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.

Trump eases federal restrictions on marijuana

In one of the most significant changes to U.S. drug policy since the 70s, President Trump is easing federal restrictions on marijuana.

Schedule III drugs are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence, like Tylenol with codeine, testosterone and ketamine.

Heather DeFazio is the director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. She says the change is significant, saying it will open many doors for better research on cannabis.

Defazio says it could also bring financial relief for companies.

"As a Schedule I substance, marijuana companies are unable to write off normal business expenses. And this costs them a lot of money. This change to schedule three means that they're going to be eligible for the tax credits for normal business expenses, allowing them to reinvest those funds into their business and maybe invest in that research," said DeFazio.

The other side:

Jo McGuire with the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association says she is concerned about the change.

"It affects how an employer can approach workplace drug testing for THC with their employees. As we know, this is an impairing substance and there are a lot of ramifications that go along with this," said McGuire.

McGuire also added concern about the impact across the workforce, specifically in transportation.

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Trump signs executive order to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug

President Donald Trump Thursday signed an executive order that would move marijuana out of its current Schedule I classification.

She says now the Department of Transportation is only allowed to test for Schedule I and II drugs, which could impact pilots, truck drivers, and other transportation workers.

"Once we go to Schedule III, if we do not have a safety carveout in place that protects that testing program, employers could very possibly not be able to test for that substance under the federal testing program. In fact, the labs might not even be able to include that in the federal panel," said McGuire.

What's next:

The executive order directs the attorney general to initiate or continue the process of rescheduling the drug.

There's no timetable for how long that could take.