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President Donald Trump’s executive order to reschedule cannabis under federal drug laws is not going over well with prohibitionists, including lawmakers in his own party. The president issued the executive order on December 18, calling on his administration to expedite approval of a proposal to reschedule cannabis under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Under the proposal, which was initiated by the administration of former President Joseph Biden, cannabis would be removed from Schedule I of the CSA, the legislation’s most strictly controlled class of drugs. Instead, cannabis would be placed under Schedule III, a classification that includes the drugs Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, which are considered “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
“We have people begging me to do this,” Trump said during the executive order signing ceremony, citing the overwhelming public support in polls for medical cannabis.
Proponents of rescheduling say the move will ease research into cannabis. The change would also have financial benefits for state-regulated cannabis companies, including the ability to claim business tax deductions that are available to other industries.
Trump was joined by cannabis policy reform advocates, administration officials, and industry executives when he signed his executive order in the Oval Office last month. Among those on hand were Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., who acknowledged that cannabis has both risks and potential benefits.
“This is a scientific question that has divided our country for many, many years,” Kennedy said. “There are valid claims on both sides.”
Republicans Balk at Trump’s Executive Order
But Trump’s decision to expedite the rescheduling of cannabis has put him at odds with many leaders in his own party. In a letter, 22 Senate Republicans, including the chamber’s four leaders, Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, Conference Chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Conference Vice Chair James Lankford of Oklahoma, and Policy Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, argued against cannabis policy reform.
“Facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans,” the senators wrote, according to a report from Politico.
Trump also received a letter from a group of Republicans in the House of Representatives opposing his rescheduling order. In the letter led by Texas Rep. Pete Sessions and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland, the lawmakers urged the president to maintain cannabis in Schedule I of the CSA.
“We write to urge you to oppose rescheduling marijuana, a harmful drug that is worsening our nation’s addiction crisis,” the Republican House members wrote, according to a Fox News report. “Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug will send the wrong message to America’s children, enable drug cartels, and make our roads more dangerous.”
The lawmakers accused the previous administration of advancing the rescheduling proposal for the benefit of cannabis operators and to gain political favor.
“The Biden administration rescheduling decision was wrong. Rather than following the science, the Biden White House tried to expand the use of an addictive drug for partisan gain,” the House Republicans said.
The letter also maintains that rescheduling cannabis is not needed to facilitate cannabis research, despite assertions from reform advocates that researchers would gain easier access to the drug.
“Contrary to the marijuana industry’s assertion that rescheduling will result in more research, the U.S. has already conducted research for decades on this drug,” they added. “Congress even passed a bipartisan law to expand marijuana research while keeping the drug in Schedule I.”
Trump has urged the Justice Department to complete its review of the rescheduling proposal soon, although no strict deadline has been set.
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The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
