Bloomberg News
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The U.S. Justice Department is expected to reclassify marijuana into a less restrictive federal category as soon as April 22, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The move would shift cannabis from being labeled as Schedule I, the government’s most restrictive class, alongside substances such as heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, according to the person. The latter classification is reserved for drugs with accepted medical uses and lower abuse potential.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Bloomberg News request for comment.
American Trucking Associations has long voiced concern about how a potential change might affect safety across the transportation sector.
While the move wouldn’t legalize marijuana nationwide, the change could remove burdensome taxes that companies face for selling marijuana in states where it’s legal, according to the person. It could also open the door for more clinical research.
Under the current laws governing the sale of Schedule I substances, any business selling those products is taxed before removing operating expenses. For example, Green Thumb Industries, one of the largest multistate cannabis companies in the country, reported its tax rate was 56% in 2025, versus the typical U.S. corporate tax rate of 21% that year.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration moved to reclassify marijuana to the lesser designation nearly two years ago, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the reclassification in December in part to increase medical research on the substance.
RELATED: Trucking Reacts to DEA Proposal to Downgrade Marijuana
In December, when Trump signed the order, ATA Vice President of Safety Policy Brenna Lyles said in a statement, “While we do not hold a formal position on marijuana legalization or deregulation, we are concerned about the safety risks of rescheduling marijuana without explicit safeguards to preserve the testing authority and technical requirements that apply to [U.S. Department of Transportation]-regulated, safety-sensitive workers. A safe driver is a qualified driver. And a qualified driver is drug- and alcohol-free. Motor carriers must retain reliable, enforceable tools to ensure they are not putting unqualified drivers behind the wheel.”
On April 18, Trump bemoaned the lack of progress on rescheduling when he signed an executive order to expedite research and access to psychedelics.
“Will you get the rescheduling done, please?” Trump said, pointing to the government officials and civilians assembled behind him. “They’re slow walking me on rescheduling.”
Axios earlier reported that the Trump administration was moving to reclassify marijuana.
Shares of cannabis stocks surged on the news, triggering volatility halts on Tilray Brands as well as the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF, which soared nearly 28% after it resumed trading.
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