Bipartisan Lawmakers Target Marijuana Rescheduling Restriction

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are striving to eliminate a contentious provision in a spending bill that would prevent the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana.

Mace And Tlaib Lead The Charge

According to Marijuana Moment, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has introduced an amendment to strike the rescheduling restriction from the 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) spending bill.

See Also: Biden Administration: Give Us More Insight On Marijuana Rescheduling Decision, Congressional Committee Says

“We want to make sure rescheduling happens,” Mace said in a video recorded at the Republican National Committee (RNC) convention. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has also proposed an amendment to remove the same section, which the House Appropriations Committee had adopted earlier this month.

Senate And House Efforts

Republican senators attempted to block the administration from rescheduling cannabis through a standalone bill introduced last September, but it has not advanced.

This activity aligns with the upcoming deadline for the cannabis rescheduling process on the DOJ’s proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Controversy Over Hemp Products

Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) has introduced amendments to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Ag/FDA) spending bill to remove a provision that would ban most consumable hemp products.

His proposal would also affirm states’ rights to regulate hemp independently. The Ag/FDA bill report urges the FDA to intensify enforcement against unregulated cannabis products making unauthorized therapeutic claims.

D.C. And Psilocybin Legislation

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has filed an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) spending bill to end the federal ban on Washington, D.C. using local tax dollars to implement adult-use marijuana sales. This restriction, sponsored by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), has been in place since 2014.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) has introduced amendments to various spending bills to prevent federal agencies from testing job applicants for marijuana and to protect state and local laws on medical psilocybin from Justice Department interference.

Veterans Affairs And Marijuana Recommendations

The House Rules Committee recently approved amendments to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) bill, allowing VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to veterans and supporting psychedelics research.

The full House has passed these proposals as part of the MilConVA appropriations. Similarly, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill amendment permitting VA doctors to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to patients in states where it is legal.

Read Next:

• Over 33,000 Comments Flood DEA’s Cannabis Rescheduling Proposal As July 22 Submission Deadline Looms

• Kentucky Gov Andy Beshear To DEA: Reschedule Cannabis ‘Marijuana Products Will Reduce Suffering’