President Donald Trump is considering an executive order aimed at easing federal marijuana restrictions, according to reports by The Washington Post and CNBC, in a move that would make it easier to access a drug that already is legal in many states.

The executive order would instruct federal agencies to pursue classifying marijuana as a less dangerous substance, according to The Post. Trump could issue the order next week, CNBC reported.

"No final decisions have been made on the rescheduling of marijuana," a White House official told USA TODAY.

Marijuana currently is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug, which the Drug Enforcement Administration describes as a substance with no "medical use and a high potential for abuse." Schedule 1 drugs are considered the most dangerous. They include heroin, LSD and ecstasy.

Trump said in August that he is "looking at reclassification" of marijuana, noting the issue has supporters and detractors.

"Some people like it, some people hate it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana," he said.

Trump has taken an aggressive approach to drug enforcement during his second term, most notably with military strikes against alleged drug vessels off the coast of Venezuela. His stance on marijuana has been less restrictive, though. During the 2024 campaign, Trump supported a ballot measure, which ultimately failed, that would have legalized the drug in the state of Florida.

"I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," Trump said in his statement about the Florida ballot initiative.

Marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use in 45 states and 64% of Americans supported legalization in a Gallup survey from October, up from 36% two decades ago. Support for legalization has dipped recently among Republicans, though, Gallup found.

Trump spoke to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Dec. 10 about reclassifying marijuana and the congressional leader was resistant to the idea, the Post reported.

Marijuana would not become legal at the federal level if the drug were reclassified, but it would make it easier for the industry to operate and for research to be conducted on the drug.

Former President Joe Biden ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to review marijuana's classification in 2022, and the next year HHS called for listing marijuana as Schedule III, which the DEA describes as "drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence." The Biden administration in 2024 proposed a rule to reschedule marijuana, but it has been on hold since March.

Contributing: Sarah Wire, Joey Garrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump weighing order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous

Reporting by Zac Anderson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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