New research supports reasons for pot rescheduling  

By HPN Staff

As the Trump Administration prepares to reclassify marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, new research finds pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have therapeutic value. Patients benefiting from its use, according to the study, include those receiving chemotherapy, patients with AIDS/HIV, and children with severe seizure disorders. Some evidence suggests cannabinoids may help patients with multiple sclerosis and chronic neuropathic pain, as well. But there is no evidence that marijuana helps patients with other conditions.  

In reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug which is considered to have no medical value to Schedule III drug does, “[it] could become easier for researchers to study marijuana, as research with Schedule III substances is subject to less-burdensome DEA requirements compared to Schedule I substances,” according to the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University.

“Further research is crucial to better understand the potential benefits and risks of medical cannabis,” Dr. Michael Hsu, one of the study authors and a clinical instructor at the UCLA Health Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, said in a statement. “By supporting more rigorous studies, we can provide clearer guidance and improve clinical care for patients.”

Researchers examined the results of over 2,500 clinical trials on the effects of marijuana products and isolated cannabis compounds on HIV/AIDS-related anorexia, nausea from chemotherapy, pediatric seizure disorders, insomnia and pain relief. 

Why it matters 

Forty states have legalized medical marijuana, and 24 states allow and regulate recreational use according to the National Conference of State Legislators. One survey found 27% of U.S. and Canadian adults have used cannabis, and 10% of Americans have taken cannabidiol (CBD), marijuana-derived compounds that lack the psychoactive effect for therapeutic reasons. Those purposes include pain relief, anxiety and sleep problems, according to a 2018 survey.

The new meta-analysis found: 

• FDA-approved cannabinoids had a “small but significant reduction in nausea and vomiting” for patients undergoing chemotherapy and helped people suffering with AIDS/HIV combat weight loss. They also had therapeutic value for severe pediatric seizure disorders such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
• Cannabinoids may benefit patients with multiple sclerosis and chronic neuropathic pain, but there is no evidence that marijuana helps patients with other conditions.  
• The study found little evidence that cannabis helps with acute pain or insomnia. 
• Twenty-nine percent of medical marijuana users had formed an addiction. 
• Use of high-potency cannabis was associated with psychosis, and daily weed smoking put users at greater risk of heart attack and stroke. 

The Bigger Picture

President Trump’s Dec. 18, 2025, Executive Order directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III.”

The federal Controlled Substances Act (Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970) categorizes medications and recreational drugs on a schedule levels I to V. The Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), along with Congress, determine how drugs are scheduled. Cannabis has been listed as a Schedule I drug from the start. 

According to the DEA, Schedule I drugs like marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, peyote, and LSD cannot be legally prescribed because they are considered highly addictive and without therapeutic use. Schedule II drugs like morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, and amphetamine, though addictive, have medical purposes. Schedule III drugs like anabolic steroids, testosterone, and ketamine have intermediate abuse potential and medical value. Schedule IV and V have even less potential for abuse.