Good Thursday evening. In this edition: President Trump orders reclassification of marijuana, opening door to medical research.
Plus, gender-affirming care, inflation, Trump–Kennedy Center and Congress.
Marijuana
President Trump signed an executive order to expedite the reclassification of marijuana, paving the way for expanded medical research on the drug.
"This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments," the president said in the Oval Office, flanked by medical professionals. "It's going to have a tremendously positive impact."
The order would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which is defined as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, to Schedule III, which is defined as having a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.
Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD and ecstasy, while Schedule III drugs include ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.
Marijuana's classification as one of the most dangerous and habit-forming substances has long drawn criticism. The reclassification, which is overwhelmingly popular among Americans, represents an acknowledgment that cannabis has some medicinal value and a lower potential for abuse.
"The facts compel the federal government to recognize that marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered," President Trump said. "In some cases, this may include the use as a substitute for addictive and potentially lethal opioid painkillers."
The president's order does not federally legalize marijuana, though the drug is already legal in many states for either medicinal or recreational purposes. The order also does not affect recreational marijuana nor include any criminal justice changes.
"It doesn't legalize marijuana in any way, shape or form, and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug," President Trump said, adding that the order is aimed at helping people who struggle with chronic pain, particularly cancer patients.
The executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to complete the formal rescheduling process, which began under the Biden administration, and publish a final rule reclassifying cannabis.
Changing marijuana's classification would ease regulatory hurdles and allow the Food and Drug Administration to study its medical applications, potentially paving the way for its use as a pharmaceutical drug.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services secretary, announced steps to restrict access to gender-affirming care for young people, arguing that such procedures "impose medical dangers and lasting harm." If finalized, the proposed rules would make it more difficult for hospitals to provide gender-affirming care for children, bar medical device manufacturers from marketing breast binders to minors, and remove gender dysphoria from the list of conditions protected under federal disability law. Under the directives, the Health and Human Services Department would prohibit hospitals that provide children with "sex-rejecting procedures" from receiving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for any type of medical service.
Inflation fellto an annualized rate of 2.7% in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, significantly lower than the 3.1% expected by economists. Core CPI, which strips out the more volatile energy and food prices, clocked in at 2.6% over the past 12 months. Economists cautioned that the data should be taken with a grain of salt since the data was collected later than normal due to the government shutdown and may include holiday discounting that depresses the numbers. Nevertheless, Wall Street snapped a four-day losing streak, with the S&P 500 finishing 0.8% higher and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closing up 1.4%.
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to rename the Washington, DC, presidential memorial and arts institution the "Trump–Kennedy Center," a decision the president said he was "honored" and "surprised" by. Board members, who were hand-picked by President Trump and later named him chairman, voted unanimously to approve the name change. Members of the late president's family condemned the decision. Joe Kennedy III, a former Democratic congressman, noted that the building was named for his great-uncle by federal law. "It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says," he wrote on social media.
The House has finished its last votes for the year and are set to next return to the Capitol on Jan. 6. Senators are looking to stay in late tonight to also finish up their work for the year and are slated to next return on Jan. 5. Lawmakers will return to Washington, DC, with a Jan. 30 deadline to finish the remaining appropriations bills as well as possible legislation on health care.
For your radar…
President Trump signs the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Friday evening. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN at 6pm ET.
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