Jamaica has guarded welcomed the decision by the United States President, Donald Trump, to expand access to cannabis, regarded as a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades.
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the US attorney general to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug – placing it under the same category as Tylenol with codeine.
Cannabis or marijuana will remain illegal at the federal level. But classifying it as a Schedule III narcotic would allow expanded research to be conducted into its potential benefits.
Several Republican lawmakers cautioned against the move, with some arguing it could normalise cannabis use.
The US Drug Enforcement Agency notes that Schedule III narcotics – which also include ketamine and anabolic steroids – have only a ‘moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence’.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright said in a statement described the US government’s decision as a ‘major signal in the direction of further liberalisation at the US federal level.
‘Schedule I is the most restrictive category under US law, reserved for substances deemed to have no accepted medical use. Moving cannabis to Schedule III, if completed through the required administrative process, would materially ease barriers to medical and scientific research, expand clinical study opportunities, and alter the operating environment for regulated cannabis activity,’ Seiveright said.
He said that the change reflects the evolving situation in the United States, where 24 states permit adult recreational use and about 40 allow medical use, despite federal restrictions.
For Jamaica, which has decriminalised small amounts of ganja and operates a regulated medical, therapeutic, and scientific cannabis regime overseen by the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), the development could be significant.
‘Jamaica’s framework has been deliberately designed to support lawful, research-driven and medically focused activity. However, the continued Schedule I classification in the U.S. has long contributed to banking and correspondent services challenges, elevated compliance costs, and conservative risk assessments by financial institutions,’ Seiveright added.
But he urged caution, saying the ultimate impact on banking access, cross-border investment, research collaboration, and wider market engagement will depend on how the US implements the change and how international financial systems respond.
‘Nevertheless, a US federal move away from Schedule I represents a meaningful and long-awaited shift, and one that could gradually reduce friction for legitimate medical research, scientific innovation and compliant, value-added opportunities for Jamaica over time,’ Seiveright said.
‘The ultimate impact on banking access, cross-border investment, research collaboration and wider market engagement will depend on the final details of US implementation and how international compliance and financial ecosystems respond,’ Seiveright said.