Recently, our federal agencies, under the prompting of the Trump administration, moved marijuana products regulated by a state medical marijuana license, and FDA-approved products containing marijuana, from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Public hearings, which are supposed to occur before such a move, will be held sometime in the future.
The public-facing reason for this move was to research cannabidiol and marijuana for medicinal purposes. However, CBD has been legally available since the 2018 federal Farm Bill authorized hemp production, and we did not need to reschedule marijuana to study it. For example, the recent executive order to federally fund and study the use of Ibogaine, a Schedule I hallucinogen, for the treatment of mental illness did not require rescheduling.
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For years, our nation’s parents have faced headwinds trying to keep their children drug-free. In 2013, our federal government decided to stop enforcing existing marijuana laws. Since that time, a $38 billion addiction-based industry has been allowed to leverage that neglect into profit. Well-funded lobbyist groups and their political helpers have steamrolled states to pass legalization laws quickly before the public noticed the fallout, and entertainment and social media platforms have tried to convince everyone to view marijuana use as normal, safe, and fun.
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Now, 13 years later, the 2026 White House National Drug Control Strategy delivers a stark reality. According to this document, cannabis use disorder affects 20.6 million people over the age of 12. In addition, marijuana use is the primary reason given for addiction treatment for those under the age of 20. Today’s high-potency drug is responsible for a significant rise in psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, suicidality, and a slew of other problems that hit those under age 25 the hardest. And yet, the federal government declared, through the reclassification of marijuana for medicinal purposes, that this drug only has a moderate to low probability of abuse. This is abjectly false.
The federal push for carte-blanche reclassification of state-level marijuana products also means that extremely high-THC concentrates and cannabis flower strains with names such as OG Kush, Durban Poison, and Green Crack now have federal legitimacy as substances with a medicinal application. Making matters worse, marijuana is still the only Schedule III substance that does not mandate a cap on potency or require a licensed provider to prescribe an appropriate dosage, strength, and frequency of use.
The real underbelly of Schedule III reclassification is money. This move allows marijuana corporations to claim an estimated $2+ billion in annual federal tax breaks. And for those who are already aware of the behind-the-scenes political greasing that happened while marijuana was classified in Schedule I, just wait and see what happens as this drug downshifts into Schedule III.
If our current administration wants to prevent the corporate frenzy that has already ravaged the American family with false messaging on marijuana, it should advocate the passage of the No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act, HR1447. Failure to support this legislation will become the public health vs. corporatism litmus test for every elected federal leader. It should also require marijuana to be governed the same as every other Schedule III drug.
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The rush to reclassify marijuana, in spite of the known devastation it has already caused across the nation, is a gut-punch to the countless families whose loved ones have experienced irreparable mental health harm, or death, as a result of marijuana use. Unfortunately, reclassifying marijuana is teaching our nation’s youth one sad lesson: Science is negotiable for the right price.
We must do better for our youngest generation. It is time to make this make sense again.
Susan Homola is the New Hampshire State Chairman for Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former New Hampshire state representative. Raymond Wiggins, MD, is a licensed physician and the author of the #1 bestselling book series, Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana.
