Trump Admin Reclassifies Medical Marijuana

0:00Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch just signed off on reclassifying medical marijuana from schedule 1 to schedule 3. This big shift under the Trump administration aims to make research way easier since schedule 1 lumped it with stuff like heroin, but now it's more. Like ketamine. Researchers have struggled for years because federal rules block solid studies on what it treats, who it helps, and the real risks. Just like University of Michigan, Professor Aaron Bonar, say this opens the door after decades of roadblocks. On one side, folks cheer it as a research win. On the other, critics like Kevin Sabet, a former advisor to three presidents, call it a handout to big marijuana companies through tax breaks that schedule 3 allows. Pew research notes 74% of Americans live in states allowing medical marijuana 12 years after California led the way. Florida alone has 1,233 dispensaries.

1:00But Governor Ron DeSantis says it won't shake things up much here. Looking ahead, officials hint at tackling criminal penalties next, which could reshape trafficking laws nationwide and finally ease up on enforcement. This move keeps the momentum rolling. That's your update from Tampa Bay News today, powered by AI.