Study: Strong Public Demand for Bigger Marijuana Reform Than Rescheduling

The Trump administration's move to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III is popular with the public, but most Americans support even broader cannabis reforms, according to a new federally funded study.

The research found that 28.9% of respondents supported moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as proposed, while 63.5% wanted further rescheduling or even complete descheduling. Only 6.7% opposed reform altogether.

The most commonly stated reasons for supporting the move to Schedule III were therapeutic benefits and economic impacts. Those who wanted further reform frequently cited criminal justice issues as their primary motivation.

Opponents of any change, meanwhile, noted concerns about public health risks, addiction, and underage use in their comments, the study found.

The findings suggest that while the rescheduling proposal represents a step in the direction most Americans want, the majority of the public is ready for even more significant changes to how cannabis is regulated at the federal level.