Lawmakers Approve Bill To Block Cannabis Rescheduling

Last week, retired professional football player Ricky Williams met with top Trump administration officials at the White House to discuss the ongoing federal cannabis rescheduling process.

Williams, who’s since become an advocate for cannabis policy reform, also met with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and White House Counsels Office.

Reid Stewart, CEO of Frozen Fields and Williams’ business partner, said, “This marks a pivotal moment for the cannabis industry, and it’s exciting to see Ricky Williams at the forefront of this movement in Washington. While rescheduling cannabis is just one step in Highsman’s mission of normalizing the plant, it represents a significant leap forward; especially by removing the unfair financial burden imposed by Section 280E and potentially opening up broader access to capital markets. With additional progress on initiatives like SAFE Banking and, ultimately, legislation akin to the STATES Act, we could gain the momentum needed to truly enable the cannabis industry to thrive.”

Preventing Cannabis Rescheduling

Williams’ efforts were for naught, because a congressional committee has just approved a spending bill that contains provisions to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana, according to Marijuana Moment. The legislation would also maintain a separate longstanding rider protecting state medical cannabis programs from federal interference—though with new language authorizing enhanced penalties for sales near schools and parks.

For the second time now, the base legislation—which now heads to the full committee for consideration—contains language hostile to cannabis rescheduling efforts that remain ongoing.

The bill states that it would block the Justice Department from using its funds to reschedule or deschedule cannabis. Under the Biden administration, DOJ recommended moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), but that process has been delayed for months amid challenges from witnesses in the administrative hearings.

We await the committee’s final decision to see what will happen to cannabis rescheduling.

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