New Delhi, Dec. 19 -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to speed up the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I substance to the less severe Schedule III, stating that the move was intended to boost research.

While the previous Joe Biden administration had begun the reclassification process, it had been bogged down by administrative delays and legal hurdles. Trump, months after taking office for a second term, had agreed to finish the job.

Trump's latest executive order essentially directs US Attorney General Pam Bondi to speed up the process of reclassification.

"The Federal Government's long delay in recognizing the medical use of marijuana does not serve the Americans who report health benefits from...