The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open new avenues for medical research. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe says the switch would move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. Cannabis would instead be a Schedule III substance, like ketamine and some anabolic steroids. Reclassification by the Drug Enforcement Administration would not make it legal for recreational use by adults nationwide, but it could change how the drug is regulated and reduce a hefty tax burden on the cannabis industry. Medical marijuana is now allowed by 40 states and Washington, and many states have also legalized it for recreational use, but U.S. laws have remained stricter, potentially leaving people subject to federal prosecution. The Justice Department under Mr. Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, previously proposed reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule III substance. Unlike Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump did not have open encouragement from across his party for the move. Mr. Trump ordered the process move along as quickly as legally possible.
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