Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton criticized the Trump administration Thursday for downgrading the drug classification of state-approved medical marijuana, claiming the drug is far stronger now than in years past.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order earlier Thursday to reclassify the drug in order to ease regulations regarding cannabis research. 

The move doesn't legalize marijuana or remove criminal penalties for use and possession, but it reclassifies marijuana from its current Schedule I — which is the same classification as heroin and means it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical uses — to the lower classification of Schedule III. 

“Marijuana today is much more potent than just ten or twenty years ago, leading to increased psychosis, anti-social behavior, and fatal car crashes,” Cotton wrote on X. “Arkansans don’t want more dangerous drugs obtained more easily. A change to marijuana’s drug classification is a step in the wrong direction.”

The move follows an executive order President Donald Trump signed in December, which is aimed at expanding medical marijuana research. 

The White House has defended the new classification, claiming in a statement to The Hill that it was a "welcome step" in helping research the medical benefits of the drug. 

“The Trump administration continues to implement a Gold Standard Science-based approach to shape health policymaking and deliver for American veterans and patients,” the White House added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.