LIVE: President Trump Signed a Significant Executive Order focused on federal drug policy reform

Описание: December 18, 2025, President Trump signed a significant Executive Order focused on federal drug policy reform. Here is a summary of the Executive Order and the surrounding key events from that day.

Executive Order: Federal Marijuana Reclassification
Date Signed: December 18, 2025 Key Directive: The order directs the Attorney General to expedite the process of transferring marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).


Major Provisions & Impacts:

Rescheduling: Moves cannabis away from the strictest classification (Schedule I, which includes heroin) to Schedule III (drugs with medical value and lower abuse potential).


Tax Relief for Businesses: This change allows state-licensed cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions that were previously barred under IRS code 280E.

Research Expansion: Removes significant barriers to medical research that applied to Schedule I substances.


Medicare & CBD: The order includes a proposal to allow Medicare recipients access to non-intoxicating, full-spectrum CBD products covered under federal health plans, a move aimed particularly at seniors managing chronic pain.


Other Developments (Dec. 17–18, 2025)
While the Marijuana Reclassification was the primary Executive Order signed on the 18th, it followed a major news cycle generated by the President's address the previous evening.


"Warrior Dividend" for Troops: During his primetime address on December 17, President Trump announced $1,776 bonus checks for approximately 1.45 million U.S. military personnel. Reports on Dec. 18 confirmed that these funds were "already on the way," marking a significant financial injection for service members ahead of the holidays.


HHS Action on Gender Care: Also on December 18, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new regulatory actions to enforce a previous directive barring Medicare/Medicaid funding for "sex-rejecting procedures" (gender-affirming care) on minors.

On Thursday, December 18, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the reclassification of cannabis as a less dangerous drug and aimed at easing federal restrictions.

This action follows a series of high-profile executive orders signed in the preceding days:
Cannabis Rescheduling (Dec. 18): Directs the Attorney General or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, which classifies it as having a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence".

Drug Pricing (Dec. 16): Signed an order requiring drug companies to offer prices for prescription drugs comparable to those in other developed nations, bypassing middlemen to provide "Most-Favoured-Nation" pricing for American patients.
Fentanyl as a WMD (Dec. 15): Formally classified illicit fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction" (WMD) to expand the government's authority to pursue criminal charges and seize assets of drug cartels.

Artificial Intelligence (Dec. 11): Issued the "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence" order, which seeks to preempt state-level AI regulations in California and New York by creating a unified federal standard.
Travel Restrictions (Dec. 16): Expanded travel bans to include additional countries (increasing the list by approximately 20 nations) to enhance national security and vetting procedures.

1. Executive Order: Fentanyl Designated as a WMD
Although signed just prior to today's news cycle (breaking widely on Dec 17/18), this is the major standing Executive Order dominating the current security landscape.

The Action: The President signed an Executive Order formally designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).


Key Provisions:

Military Involvement: The order directs the Secretary of War (notably referred to as such in recent official documents, rather than Secretary of Defense) and the Attorney General to determine if "Department of War" resources are needed to aid the Department of Justice.


Asset Freezing: It mandates the Secretary of State and Treasury to pursue aggressive action against assets and financial institutions supporting the fentanyl trade.

AI Regulation: Earlier in the week (Dec 11), President Trump signed an order establishing a national policy framework for Artificial Intelligence, creating an "AI Litigation Task Force" to challenge state-level AI regulations that conflict with federal policy.

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The President trump signs an Executive Order today
President Trump Signs an Executive Order, Dec. 18, 2025

Film Credits: White House Communications Agency