India, Dec. 19 -- President Donald Trump, on December 18, signed an executive order directing the reclassification of marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III controlled substance at the federal level.

The move is described as one of the most significant federal shifts on cannabis in decades aims to expand medical research and ease regulatory burdens for the cannabis industry while stopping short of full legalisation for recreational use.

Under the Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I drugs are defined as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Trump's order would move marijuana into Schedule III, a category that includes substances with moderate to low potential for dependence, such as ketamine, Tyl...