Trump administration eases rules on some marijuana categories. Here's what to know

The Trump administration has reclassified medical marijuana on the federal level, from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. Justin Sullivan/ hide caption toggle caption Justin Sullivan/ The Trump administration is easing rules on medical marijuana, moving it out of the restrictive Schedule I and into Schedule III — a category shared by drugs such as Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the move on Thursday, saying it "allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information." Rescheduling marijuana has been discussed in Washington for years. Here's a guide to what's changing now: What does Thursday's announcement do? For decades, marijuana has been grouped in the same Schedule I classification of drugs as heroin and LSD and kept under the tightest federal controls. Drugs in the category are seen as not having any accepted medical use and being highly prone to abuse. But many states have legalized marijuana — both medical (40) and recreational (24) . And the Justice Department said Thursday that Blanche's action "recognizes the longstanding regulation of medical marijuana by state governments and the need for a common-sense approach to this reality." The rescheduling does not immediately affect recreational marijuana. …