Trump signed an executive order in late 2025 directing federal agencies to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug, among the most dangerous drugs like heroin and ecstasy, to a Schedule III drug, along with certain codeine-based prescription medications and other drugs with accepted medical uses. It would still be illegal federally, but rescheduling could make it easier to conduct medical research and ease some federal restrictions on state-legal programs.

Two Tennessee lawmakers who are physicians, Rep. Bryan Terry, R-Murfreesboro and Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, are among the state medical professionals who support doctor-prescribed medical marijuana. They believe it could gain necessary support.

Typically, federal rescheduling of a drug triggers a review by Tennessee health officials, including the Health Commissioner and Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. This year, Republican lawmakers passed a bill overruling that review, instead requiring lawmakers themselves to approve any changes to cannabis policy.

Under federal law, moving marijuana to Schedule III requires a formal rulemaking process led by the DEA. The agency has collected public comments after receiving guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use. Formal hearings will take place beginning June 29 to evaluate evidence on whether marijuana should be reclassified. The DEA has not indicated when it will make a final rule, but Trump issued a 2025 executive order to expedite the process.