Not Legalization, But Progress: Why Schedule III Matters

In 1973, Schoolhouse Rock released a song titled “Three Is a Magic Number.”

Today, that phrase feels unexpectedly relevant.

A meaningful milestone occurred in the long and complex history of cannabis policy in the United States. After being effectively outlawed under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and later classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis has remained stigmatized and legally constrained for more than three generations. Today, President Trump signed an executive order directing the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.

This action does not legalize cannabis at the federal level. However, it does formally acknowledge what clinicians, researchers, and patients have increasingly demonstrated: cannabis has accepted medical utility and warrants continued scientific evaluation under a less restrictive regulatory framework.

If this is not legalization, why does it matter?

Because progress in public health policy rarely occurs in a single, sweeping moment. It occurs through deliberate, incremental change. This reclassification represents forward movement in how cannabis is understood by regulators, medical institutions, and the broader public.

For decades, cannabis was framed as having no medical value and as posing risks comparable to the most harmful controlled substances. That narrative became deeply embedded in public consciousness and institutional policy. Over time, however, evidence began to challenge that position.

Washington State decriminalized cannabis in 1973. California established a regulated medical cannabis program through Proposition 215 in 1996. These actions marked the beginning of a broader reassessment of cannabis policy, grounded not in ideology, but in observed outcomes, patient experience, and emerging research.

Change is difficult, particularly when it requires revisiting long held assumptions. Yet even prominent physicians and researchers have publicly revised their positions as data accumulated. That evolution reflects a fundamental principle of medicine and science: when evidence changes, conclusions must also change.

As additional states adopted medical and adult use frameworks, public opinion shifted accordingly. Policymakers, clinicians, and voters increasingly questioned whether federal policy aligned with real world evidence. Each state level reform added momentum to a broader change management process.

At the federal level, prior administrative actions eased restrictions on cannabis research, reducing barriers that had limited academic and clinical study. Targeted pardons for certain cannabis related offenses followed. While narrow in scope, these actions signaled continued reassessment of longstanding policy positions.

None of these steps constituted legalization. Each represented measured progress.

Today’s executive order continues that trajectory. Reclassifying cannabis to Schedule III acknowledges medical potential while maintaining regulatory oversight. It is not an endpoint, but it is an important waypoint.

Naturally, questions remain. The timeline for implementation is unclear. Legal challenges are likely. The practical effects on taxation, banking access, research acceleration, and future legislative reform remain uncertain. These unknowns should be acknowledged openly and responsibly.

Still, uncertainty does not negate significance.

This action sends a clear signal domestically and internationally that U.S. cannabis policy is evolving toward evidence based regulation rather than historical stigma. It reinforces a transition from prohibition driven assumptions toward medical research, clinical outcomes, and public health considerations.

Personally, this milestone further affirms the need to focus on rigorous research, patient outcomes, and thoughtful regulation. The risks and benefits of cannabis, like any therapeutic substance, should be evaluated through data, not folklore.

For many years, prevailing beliefs went largely unchallenged. As with many moments in scientific history, confidence eventually yielded to evidence.

I have had countless conversations with individuals who report meaningful improvements in pain management, sleep, appetite, anxiety, inflammation, and overall quality of life through responsible cannabis use. Those experiences, combined with expanding research, deserve careful consideration.

Change occurs at different speeds for different people. That is normal. But progress depends on willingness to reexamine assumptions when presented with credible information.

This step matters. Not because it resolves every question, but because it moves the conversation forward.

I hope this moment encourages a renewed, thoughtful look at cannabis, grounded in science, medicine, and compassion, and helps more people recognize the positive impact this plant is already having in the lives of many.