“Almost all of our neighbors have legalized marijuana and it’s benefiting from hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and revenue.”

By John Cole, The Center Square

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) believes the Trump administration took an “important step” Thursday after redefining how the federal government classifies medical marijuana.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order immediately FDA approved marijuana products and Marijuana regulated by state medical licenses III of the Controlled Substances Act.

“Governor Shapiro has made it clear that we need to move forward — nearly all of our residents have legalized marijuana and are benefiting from hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and revenue — and this important step by the federal government only adds support to the Governor’s proposal,” Shapiro spokeswoman Rosie Lapowsky told The Center Square. “The Shapiro Administration stands ready to seize this opportunity to work with the General Assembly to legalize marijuana and make our Commonwealth more competitive and fair.”

Since 1970, along with marijuana, heroin, LSD and ecstasy, it has been classified as a Schedule I drug. This designation defined them as drugs with no approved medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Schedule III drugs are defined as having a moderate or low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone.

The Trump administration’s decision on Thursday moves medical marijuana from one of the more restricted drug classifications to an unregulated category and gives cannabis businesses a tax break. However, it is exempt from federal legislation.

In April 2016, then-Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed the legislation making Pennsylvania the 24th state to create a medical marijuana program.

Shapiro announced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana In 2019, he was serving his first term as state attorney general.

Since being elected governor in 2022, he has called on lawmakers to pass an adult-use program, even as the supposed tax revenue is included in all of his budget plans. If approved on July 1, the administration believes the legalization would raise $729 million.

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. He has been an advocate for the legalization of marijuana and celebrated the decision taken by the Trump administration.

“John has been a lifelong supporter of legal weed,” a spokesperson for Fetterman told The Center Square. “It’s a good step forward and he supports it.”

NORML, the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform, has given Shapiro and Fetterman an “A+” grade for their support of marijuana legalization.

However, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., has seen things differently in the past. In December, he signed a joint letter with 21 Senate Republican colleagues opposing the Trump administration’s reclassification of the drug.

“Scheduling marijuana as a Schedule III drug will undermine your strong efforts to make America Great Again and usher in America’s next economic Golden Age,” the senators wrote in their letter to the Trump administration. “The only winners from the renegotiation will be the bad actors, such as Communist China, who will leave Americans footing the bill.”

In a telephone town hall that same month, McCormick described himself as a “strong advocate for the use of medicinal marijuana,” but said at the time that he was “opposed to moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.”

However, McCormick did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment Thursday about his thoughts on the Trump administration’s latest move.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, also did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

FOX43 reported in August 2025 that Garrity said he did not have a firm policy position on the issue, but cautioned against lawmakers claiming his financial benefits.

“The amount of money they had in the budget, I would say it’s way too much,” Garrity said, according to FOX43. “I don’t have a policy position on that, but I will tell you if they pass the legislation, I’m going to make sure it’s properly bankrolled.”

Organizations in Pennsylvania and beyond have also weighed in on the Trump administration’s latest move.

“Today’s order marks a historic reversal in federal cannabis policy,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “It validates the experiences of tens of millions of Americans, as well as tens of thousands of doctors, who have long recognized the legitimate medical utility of cannabis, as well as the legitimacy of longstanding cannabis access programs available in most US states.”

“It wasn’t long ago that federal officials were denying that cannabis had legitimate medical utility, were confiscating doctors’ licenses for discussing medical cannabis with patients, and were shutting down state-licensed marijuana dispensaries,” he added. “Now the government wants to integrate these programs into the existing federal and international framework for regulating substances with recognized medical value.”

The PA Family Institute sees the issue differently. They said they are disappointed with the Trump administration’s decision.

“The PA Family Institute is disappointed with the Trump Administration’s decision to provide significant tax breaks to the marijuana industry and protect this non-addictive industry,” said Dan Bartkowiak, Chief Strategy Officer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute. “Big Marijuana should not be allowed to more easily direct new consumers to harmful marijuana products.”

“In Pennsylvania, the recreational use of marijuana remains illegal, a policy that until now has been maintained by sensible PA Senate leaders. Maintaining this people-first policy helps avoid many of the public health and safety challenges seen in other states,” he added. “Evidence continues to link marijuana use, especially among youth, to increased emergency room visits, mental health concerns, and negative impacts on families and communities.”

A majority of Pennsylvanians think the government should go further, at least according to one poll.

A recent poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research showed 72 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of independents Supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania.

However, due to the Trump administration’s recent decision, marijuana that is not sold through a state medical program or approved by the FDA remains Schedule I.

40 states have approved medical marijuana programs, and 24 states and Washington, DC, have legalized adult recreational use.

This story was first published by The Center Square.