On December 18, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to expand research into how marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) can be used as medicine. The directive aims to help the federal government understand how these substances treat various health conditions.

A major part of the order tells the Attorney General to quickly move marijuana from a "Schedule I" drug to a "Schedule III" drug under federal law. Marijuana is currently in a category for drugs considered to have a high risk of addiction and no medical use. Moving it to Schedule III recognizes its medical benefits and will make it easier to conduct thorough safety research.

The order also instructs a top White House official to work with Congress to make CBD products that use the whole hemp plant easier to obtain. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will create research plans to set safety and quality guidelines for medical products made from hemp, which is the plant often used to produce CBD. While the order expands access to these products, it maintains strict rules for other illegal drugs.

Health statistics show the need for such research. Chronic pain affects about 25% of American adults and more than 33% of seniors. Six out of 10 people who use medical marijuana say they use it to manage pain. Currently, 40 states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana programs. These serve more than six million patients and 30,000 health care providers who can recommend the treatment.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found scientific evidence that marijuana helps treat chronic pain. It also helps with nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by certain illnesses.

This directive follows several other healthcare efforts launched throughout 2025:

  • In February 2025, an order required healthcare providers to give patients clear pricing for medical treatments before they receive care.
  • In April 2025, federal agencies announced a plan to phase out artificial food dyes made from petroleum.
  • In May 2025, the President signed an order to help veterans by shortening appointment wait times and adding weekend hours.
  • In July 2025, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act set aside $50 billion for rural healthcare. It also made it easier to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which let people save tax-free money for medical bills.

In addition to these specific orders, the administration reached deals with five large drug companies to match the lower prices paid in other wealthy countries. Meanwhile, the federal government is working to lower the cost of "biosimilar" drugs. These are cheaper versions of expensive brand-name medicines. Officials plan to speed up and simplify the approval process for these treatments.