MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KEYC) – The University of Minnesota says a federal change to classify medical marijuana as a schedule III drug instead of a schedule I drug could allow more detailed research on its impacts on public health and medicine.
Colin Planalp, a senior research fellow at the university’s Cannabis Research Center (CRC), says while it may be too soon to tell exactly what new research opportunities could be allowed under this change, it will most likely give researchers more options.
While the CRC doesn’t do medical research, it does conduct research on the public health effects of cannabis to help inform public policy and help Minnesotans make informed choices about consumption.
Planalp says with a decrease in the severity of the drug’s classification researchers may have increased access to medical marijuana products that are produced in their state for their studies, instead of what has previously been approved federally.
For research purposes, Planalp says this could give a more realistic look at how cannabis products are affecting patients on a state-by-state basis.
“What medical cannabis patients are accessing and using in Minnesota may be quite different from what researchers have been historically limited to using from federal government sources. So it could allow researchers to conduct studies that better reflect the real world under this new regime,” Planalp said.
With the new scheduling, new funding sources and tax benefits may be available for medical marijuana businesses and researchers, which he says could also lead to more research surrounding these products.
The Trump Administration plans to hold a hearing to reconsider the drug’s overall scheduling this summer, if it applies this change across the board, Planalp says this could also broaden research around consumer protections in the recreational marijuana industry.
The CRC regularly conducts studies simulating hemp product purchases, to test safeguards for keeping THC away from underage consumers, as well as using actors who are of legal age, but don’t have identification.
A 2025 version of the study, found around 34% of vendors failed to prevent the simulated underage purchase.
With a change in recreational classification, Planalp says it would be able to expand the scope of studies like this to include actual cannabis products.
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