Trump Pushes DOJ to Accelerate Cannabis Rescheduling Process

President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Justice to move quickly to complete the federal rulemaking process that could reclassify marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, following an executive order signed last week.

The order instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary steps” to finalize marijuana rescheduling “in the most expeditious manner in accordance with federal law.” While the directive signals urgency, it does not set a public deadline.

A report from The Marijuana Herald, citing two unnamed sources close to the president, claims Trump privately urged the Justice Department to complete the process by the end of January. That timeline has not been confirmed by DOJ or the White House, and no formal procedural schedule has been released.

Process, not policy overhaul

Any change to marijuana’s federal classification must still follow the formal rescheduling framework outlined in 21 U.S.C. § 811. That process is led by DOJ and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with coordination from the Department of Health and Human Services, which recommended moving marijuana to Schedule III in 2023.

Even under an accelerated approach, rescheduling typically involves administrative steps that can span weeks or months, including publication and finalization of a rule. The executive order does not waive these requirements.

Market implications

If finalized, Schedule III status would represent the first change to marijuana’s federal classification in more than 50 years. While it would not legalize cannabis federally or alter state enforcement frameworks, the shift could carry meaningful implications for operators and investors.

Most notably, rescheduling would remove the application of Internal Revenue Code Section 280E, allowing cannabis businesses to deduct ordinary operating expenses for federal tax purposes. It could also expand opportunities for federally sanctioned research and clarify regulatory treatment for FDA-approved cannabis-derived medicines.

At the same time, Schedule III would leave core federal prohibitions intact, including interstate commerce restrictions and the absence of a unified national market. As a result, analysts caution that the financial impact would be uneven across companies and states.

What to watch next

For now, the executive order establishes political momentum rather than a guaranteed timeline. Investors will be watching for concrete procedural signals, including DOJ or DEA rulemaking actions, Federal Register notices or public guidance on sequencing.

Until those steps emerge, the key takeaway remains that rescheduling is advancing under increased pressure, but the pace and final outcome are still subject to the mechanics of federal administrative law.

United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons