On April 23, 2026, the Justice Department and DEA moved two kinds of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III: FDA-approved drug products, and marijuana covered by a qualifying state medical license.
That's narrower than the headlines made it sound. Recreational marijuana, even where a state has legalized it, stayed in Schedule I under federal law.
The move didn't legalize or decriminalize anything federally. Schedule III still comes with registration and licensing rules. What it does do is make medical research easier and signal the direction federal policy is heading.
Bottom line: if you buy recreationally, nothing changed for you federally on April 23. The bigger decision is still coming.