Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
A House subcommittee has approved a spending bill that includes measures to block the Department of Justice from moving forward with cannabis rescheduling.
The Republican-led House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies on July 15 approved a spending bill in a 9-6 vote that includes a provision that would prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using funds to reschedule cannabis.
The move would further stall the process of reviewing cannabis initiated by former U.S. President Joe Biden, which current President Donald Trump appeared to support.
Section 607 of the spending bill stipulates that none of the funds available by this bill may be used by the DOJ to reschedule cannabis or to remove it from the schedules established under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Cannabis is currently listed in Schedule I of the CSA, along with other substances like heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. Rescheduling it to Schedule III, as has been proposed, would mean fewer restrictions on research, greater access to medical cannabis, and a reduced tax burden for cannabis businesses.
Today, despite being still federally illegal, 39 states have legalized cannabis for medical use, and 24 also for recreational purposes.
The review of cannabis rescheduling started in 2022 when then-President Biden instructed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the DOJ to review the status of cannabis under the CSA.
In 2023, HHS recommended moving the substance from Schedule I to Schedule III. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) then opened a public comment window, receiving over 40,000 comments.
The U.S. attorney general, who is currently Pam Bondi, has the authority to schedule, reschedule, or deschedule drugs under the CSA. However, the attorney general usually delegates this authority to the DEA. But the agency's hearings related to the rescheduling of cannabis are currently stalled. Initially set to begin on January 21, DEA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) John Mulrooney postponed them. Since then, no dates for cannabis hearings have been set.
During his election campaign, Trump supported cannabis reform; but since he took office in January, little has been heard from him about it.
On Monday, The Marijuana Herald reported that Trump told two House lawmakers in a private meeting, "We'll be moving forward soon," referring to cannabis rescheduling. The quote originated from a staffer who was present, but the news site was unable to confirm it independently.
Last week, former football player and cannabis advocate Ricky Williams met with senior Trump officials at the White House to talk about the federal cannabis rescheduling process.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Trump signed a bill into law that will ban illicit fentanyl. The law also contains measures that ease restrictions on conducting research into Schedule I drugs, in which cannabis is included.
Separately, Congress is also moving to close a loophole opened by the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp. Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill which includes a provision banning intoxicating hemp products that mimic cannabis effects, like delta-8 THC. However, the implementation of this measure would be delayed for one year.