President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing his administration to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act, a major shift in federal drug policy that acknowledges accepted medical uses for cannabis but stops short of legalizing it nationwide.
The order directs the U.S. attorney general to take the steps needed to complete the federal rulemaking process for rescheduling marijuana. The move revives momentum around a rescheduling effort that had been moving through the administrative process.
In Indiana, the announcement drew sharply different reactions, even among Republican-aligned voices.
Safe and Regulated Indiana, a coalition pushing for legalized, regulated cannabis in the state, praised Trump’s decision and urged Indiana lawmakers to act.
“President Trump’s action aligns with what a clear majority of Hoosiers already believe,” said Joe Elsener, spokesperson for Safe and Regulated Indiana, in a statement released Thursday. Elsener said “70 percent of Indiana voters support a safe and regulated cannabis policy” and argued state elected officials should follow the president’s lead.
The group framed rescheduling as more than a technical change, calling it a signal that cannabis reform should be treated as an opportunity for states to modernize policy, regulate a market that already exists, and keep revenue from flowing to neighboring states.
Safe and Regulated Indiana said recent polling conducted on its behalf found 70% of registered Indiana voters support legalizing marijuana for adults 21 and older. The group also cited survey results indicating 58% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a political candidate who backs marijuana reform, regardless of party.
The coalition highlighted Indiana’s status as an outlier in the region, noting Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio have legalized adult-use cannabis and Kentucky has legalized medical cannabis. The group argued Indiana should use the federal momentum to adopt regulated policies that “keep tax dollars in-state, reduce illegal activity, and strengthen public safety.”
But Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita took the opposite view, joining a coalition of attorneys general warning against rescheduling.
In a statement issued under the banner “Liberty Action” and released through the Indiana attorney general’s office, Rokita and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, along with attorneys general from Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, said they remain opposed to moving marijuana to Schedule III.
The statement argued that evidence surrounding marijuana has become “only more clear in recent weeks” and claimed expanded marijuana use has had negative community impacts, especially among children and adolescents. The attorneys general also cited concerns about impaired driving, calling the increase in difficult-to-combat driving under the influence “significant and serious.”
The group said it previously conveyed its objections during the federal comment process and will review Trump’s executive order closely to determine how it can continue to engage with the administration and advocate for public health and safety.
