Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
The order moves cannabis from a Schedule I drug, a category that includes heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III drug, a category including ketamine, Tylenol with codeine and steroids.
The executive order does not, however, legalize marijuana under federal law. Cannabis is currently legal in 40 states for medical use and in 24 states for recreational use.
Trump to sign executive order reclassifying marijuana: Officials
Some pharmaceutical experts and addiction specialists told ABC News that the reclassification could remove stigma of the drug and open the doors to more scientific research.
On Monday, prior to the executive order signing, Trump said he was considering reclassifying marijuana, saying that it would lead to "tremendous amounts of research."
Making marijuana research easier
Schedule I currently means that a drug has no currently accepted medical use under federal law and high potential for abuse and dependence. Meanwhile, Schedule III says a drug has acceptable medical uses and moderate-to-low potential for abuse and dependence. It also requires a doctor's prescription.
Chad Johnson, an assistant professor in pharmaceutical sciences and the director of graduate studies in medical cannabis at the University of Maryland, explained that many researchers in academia stay away from conducting studies involving Schedule I substances because there are major barriers.
This includes getting approved for a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license, which can take a long time and cost a significant amount of money, according to Johnson. DEA has to screen and vet candidates to make sure several security measures are in place just for researchers to get the substance in their laboratories, he added.
