On Monday (December 15th), US President Trump signed an executive order listing fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, in the same category as nuclear and chemical weapons.

Reuters reported that Trump wrote in an executive order: "Illegal fentanyl is closer to chemical weapons than narcotics." This executive order significantly expands the US government's power to crack down on this synthetic opioid drug.

This unprecedented drug designation indicates that Trump not only sees fentanyl as a public health crisis, but also as a national security threat on par with chemical weapons. Fentanyl causes tens of thousands of American drug overdose deaths every year.

At the U.S. - Mexico Border Defense Medal ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House on the same day, Trump said, "We officially listed Fentany as a weapon of mass destruction, it was meant to be. They want to poison our country with drugs

Trump said that based on the data he knows, 200000 to 300000 people die each year from fentanyl, and no bomb can cause such consequences. However, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States shows that approximately 80000 people died from drug overdoses last year, including around 48000 deaths from synthetic opioid drugs.

Trump also revealed on Monday that he may push for the relaxation of federal restrictions on marijuana, reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug.

Currently, marijuana is classified as a Class I controlled drug under federal law in the United States, on par with drugs such as heroin and LSD. The government believes that these substances have a high risk of abuse and are not recognized for medical use. However, dozens of states in the United States have established legal medical marijuana programs, and many states have also approved recreational use of marijuana.

On Monday (December 15th), US President Trump signed an executive order listing fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, in the same category as nuclear and chemical weapons.

Reuters reported that Trump wrote in an executive order: "Illegal fentanyl is closer to chemical weapons than narcotics." This executive order significantly expands the US government's power to crack down on this synthetic opioid drug.

This unprecedented drug designation indicates that Trump not only sees fentanyl as a public health crisis, but also as a national security threat on par with chemical weapons. Fentanyl causes tens of thousands of American drug overdose deaths every year.

At the U.S. - Mexico Border Defense Medal ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House on the same day, Trump said, "We officially listed Fentany as a weapon of mass destruction, it was meant to be. They want to poison our country with drugs

Trump said that based on the data he knows, 200000 to 300000 people die each year from fentanyl, and no bomb can cause such consequences. However, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States shows that approximately 80000 people died from drug overdoses last year, including around 48000 deaths from synthetic opioid drugs.

Trump also revealed on Monday that he may push for the relaxation of federal restrictions on marijuana, reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug.

Currently, marijuana is classified as a Class I controlled drug under federal law in the United States, on par with drugs such as heroin and LSD. The government believes that these substances have a high risk of abuse and are not recognized for medical use. However, dozens of states in the United States have established legal medical marijuana programs, and many states have also approved recreational use of marijuana.