Trump Admin Reclassifies Medical Marijuana

0:00It's April 23rd. Welcome to California News Today, powered by AI. The Trump administration just dropped a big change on medical marijuana, reclassifying state license programs from schedule 1 to the milder. Schedule 3 That means it's no longer lumped with heroin as having no medical use and super high abuse risk. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the order, fulfilling a Trump promise without fully legalizing the stuff. This shift lets licensed medical marijuana companies deduct business expenses on federal taxes for the first time, a huge financial win. It also opens doors for easier research by protecting scientists using state approved cannabis and sets up quick DEA registration for producers and distributors. Folks are reacting strong across the board. Blanche called it a step for better patient care and Dr. Info. It hits programs in 40 states hard since only Idaho and Kansas ban it outright. Critics in the cannabis world worry stronger products need more study and over 20 Republican

1:03senators push to keep it. Schedule 1 The move builds on decades of change from California's pioneer law in 1996 to most states now having solid licensing. The Justice Department picked this path to skip slow reviews tied to international treaties. Looking ahead, a new hearing process kicks off in June to eye broader rescheduling beyond just medical use. This could reshape federal rules while states keep leading the way on reform.