Trump said his administration will focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana, and other priorities the marijuana industry has sought. However, will employees within the DEA continue trying to block President Trumps marijuana orders?
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / August 11, 2025 / President Donald J. Trump is thinking about moving marijuana to a lower drug classification, according to the Wall Street Journal and other reports. If he does, it will finally crack open the door for companies like MMJ BioPharma Cultivation- and for patients who have been waiting far too long for real, FDA-approved cannabis medicines.
At a recent private fundraiser, Trump said he was looking at reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I - the same category as heroin - to Schedule III. This wouldn't make marijuana completely legal, but it would make a huge difference. It would loosen strict federal rules, open the door for more research, and let legitimate companies like MMJ BioPharma deduct normal business expenses. It could also speed up FDA clinical trials for new medicines.
For MMJ BioPharma, this change would be nothing short of a lifeline. "Over the past seven years, we've poured millions of dollars into doing everything by the book", stated Duane Boise CEO.
Filing FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) applications
Earning orphan drug designations for Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis
Building Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities
Creating strict quality control protocols
Even developing a soft gelatin cannabis capsule ready for human testing in FDA-approved clinical trials
We've done it all - except one thing: get the DEA's approval to grow the cannabis needed for our trials.
Seven Years, DEA No Action
Back in 2018, MMJ applied for a DEA license to grow pharmaceutical-grade cannabis for our FDA-approved research. That's the one piece we can't do without. And yet, after seven years, we're still waiting.
We've met every legal requirement. We've passed every inspection. We've followed every rule. But the DEA has refused to move forward.
This isn't just frustrating - it's directly against the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, a law Congress passed in 2022 to speed up approvals for legitimate cannabis research. Instead of following the law, the DEA has buried our application in bureaucracy. Meanwhile, patients are left empty handed.
How Trump Could Break the Deadlock
When Trump reclassifies marijuana to Schedule III, it will tear down the DEA's most restrictive barriers to research. That would allow companies like ours to:
Get the cannabis material we need for FDA trials without endless delays
Test new formulations and delivery methods for patients with serious diseases
Provide safe, standardized, federally approved medicine instead of leaving patients to rely on unregulated products
The Stakes Are Personal
While the DEA drags its feet, Trump is looking at issues that unite most Americans - the so-called "80-20 issues" that have wide support. Medical cannabis is one of them. Nearly everyone agrees that if a medicine can be proven safe and effective, patients should have access to it.
For MMJ BioPharma, the past seven years have been a master class in patience - and pain. We've built the labs, hired the scientists, perfected the medicine, and followed the rules to the letter. Yet we've been stuck in limbo because one agency won't do its job.
When Trump acts, it could finally end the waiting game. It would be a win for science, a win for patients, and a win for every company that plays by the rules.
If the DEA keeps dragging its heels, it will remain a textbook example of government failure - the kind that puts politics before patients.
MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan.
CONTACT:
Madison Hisey
MHisey@mmjih.com
203-231-8583
SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/trump-may-reclassify-marijuana-mmj-biopharma-to-escape-the-deas-seven-1058811
