What Schedule III Cannabis Means for Research

Since the end of 2025, cannabis rescheduling news has made national headlines due to the President’s order to begin the rescheduling process to a schedule III. But what’s a schedule 3 drug? Schedule 3 drugs have a moderate to low potential for abuse, while Schedule 1 are high abuse risks.

Is marijuana a schedule 3 drug now that an executive order has been signed? Not yet, as the process may take a year or two, depending on resistance within the administration. One bright note that has received the most approval from both sides is the possibility for schedule 3 cannabis research to expand.

“Reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I [drug] to a lower schedule would significantly ease the regulatory burden on researchers. A lower classification would streamline the process for obtaining necessary federal licenses and funding,” said Dr. Mikhail Kogan, associate professor and medical director at the George Washington University (GWU) Center for Integrative Medicine.

Public Health Tied to Cannabis Schedule 3

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970, enacted during the Nixon administration, established cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

“Decades of federal drug control policy have neglected marijuana’s medical uses,” Trump’s executive order reads. “That oversight has limited the ability of scientists and manufacturers to complete the necessary research on safety and efficacy to inform doctors and patients.”

Although reclassification does not federally legalize cannabis, it could greatly benefit many Americans living with symptoms like chronic pain and chemotherapy-related nausea. Changing to cannabis schedule 3 would ease the red tape seen by researchers. Scientists like Ziva Cooper are hopeful the reclassification could revolutionize public health through more comprehensive research.

“It is extremely difficult to study cannabis for both the potential adverse effects as well as therapeutic effects,” said Cooper, director of the Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The industry is developing at a very fast pace, and so consumer behavior is developing along with that industry.”

Why Cannabis Research Needs More Studies

Last year, the National Institutes of Health awarded $75 million to therapeutic cannabinoid research, up from $70 million in 2023. Additionally, $217 million went to cannabinoids, and $53 million went to the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD. But without the classification of schedule 3 weed, studies are often observational, compared with the rigorous clinical trials required of pharmaceutical research, said Dr. Brooke Worster, medical director of the M.S. in medical cannabis science and business program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Cannabis study restrictions can lead to mixed results, such as a 2024 study published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research that found recreational cannabis use among adults 45 and older was associated with a 96% lower risk of subjective cognitive decline, compared with nonusers. Yet a 2025 study published in JAMA Network Open found that among adults 22 to 36, heavy cannabis users showed impaired working memory. This is only one of many examples of conflicting study outcomes partially credited to drug restrictions from schedule classification.

Reclassifying as cannabis schedule 3 helps open research doors, but even if the reclassification occurs in 2026, quality research can take years, as the process includes applying for and receiving federal grants, executing studies, reporting findings in peer-reviewed journals, then publicizing results to the public, policymakers and press.

Additionally, quality research is expensive. Addiction psychologist Mark Ilgen, Ph.D., said, “The NIH (National Institutes of Health) is currently facing the potential for historic cuts to its budget and changes to how it funds research projects, which could limit the number, size, scope and complexity of studies that can be conducted. Given that cannabis is used to help manage some of the most prevalent symptoms experienced by patients — like pain, poor sleep, anxiety — it is my hope that NIH will fund rigorous studies of cannabis to document its impact.”

The Ultimate Benefit for Business Owners

Although the reclassification of cannabis to schedule 3 weed is not yet official, cannabis business owners are noting the benefit already.

“Everybody talks about Schedule 3 from a tax perspective,” said Boris Jordan, the chairman and founder of multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings, referring to the Internal Revenue Code Section 280E that applies to Schedule 1 and 2 drugs and forbids basic business deductions on federal returns. “And sure, that’s nice,” Jordan told MJBizDaily.

But Jordan said “the most important thing” is the ability to show, with data and clinical research, “what parts of the plant are harmful, if any, and what forms of consumption of that plant are harmful, if any. Only then will that industry get legalized on a national basis in the U.S.”

Join the Cannabis Schedule 3 Conversation

Schedule 3 cannabis research has the potential to greatly benefit the cannabis industry. Start preparing now! Connect with fellow industry members to get their perspective at CannaCon, the nation’s leading business-to-business cannabis conference. Register to attend a CannaCon cannabis event this year!