DA Frederick Agee talks Trump’s executive order aiming to reclassify marijuana

JACKSON, Tenn. — President Trump’s signed an executive order Thursday night that aims to get marijuana reclassified from a schedule I drug to a schedule III drug.

“So what this executive order should do is it should allow adults and children that suffer from chronic illness to be able to get medical marijuana prescribed to them by a licensed provider without worrying about being prosecuted under the federal law,” said 28th Judicial District Attorney Frederick Agee.

For clarification, this does not federally legalize marijuana. What it does instead is make it easier to research the effects of the drug.

Also, schedule III drugs are technically able to be prescribed by licensed providers, but this opens the door for some legal issues since the drug itself is still outlawed.

“Currently under Tennessee law it’s still a crime, so I suspect they would be charged and they would be prosecuted, but again I think that conversation will start to happen in the state depending on what actions the federal government continues to take,” said Agee.

While legislative changes are still necessary for this to happen here in Tennessee, Agee believes the change could be coming in the near future.

Due in part to some of our neighbors like Missouri, who legalized recreational use in 2023 and Illinois, a state many forget is around 90 minutes from portions of West Tennessee.

“It starts the conversation. If the federal government is going to take this position, what do we need to do here in Tennessee. We’re already surrounded by states that have either a medical marijuana program or they have full recreational marijuana,” said Agee.

As of now, 11 states in the country still have heavy marijuana restrictions. Only low dose THC is medically legal in Tennessee. Agee told us he supports the executive order calling it “A step in the right direction.”

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