Sponsors (4)
The bill would expand patient access, business certainty, and research by rescheduling cannabis federally, but it creates short-term regulatory and enforcement disruptions and raises risks of litigation and perceived public-safety concerns.
Patients with chronic conditions would face fewer federal barriers to obtaining medical cannabis because the bill moves marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing access for medical use.
State-legal cannabis entrepreneurs, workers, and businesses would face reduced federal criminal risk and greater market certainty, making it easier to operate and invest in the industry.
Researchers and scientists would find it substantially easier to study cannabis because lower regulatory hurdles and fewer DEA restrictions under Schedule III simplify research approvals and access to study material.
State governments and cannabis businesses would face short-term regulatory uncertainty and compliance confusion during the bill's 60‑day forced change, risking disruption and legal disputes.
Law enforcement agencies would face transitional challenges in enforcement priorities and training as federal offense classifications change, which could cause uneven application of the law across jurisdictions.
Parents and communities could perceive reduced federal control over cannabis as increasing public safety or youth-access risks if regulations and enforcement do not adjust quickly to the new schedule.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Attorney General to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA by administrative order within 60 days of enactment.
Introduced August 12, 2025 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress August 12, 2025
Requires the Attorney General to move marijuana (defined as “marihuana” under the Controlled Substances Act) from Schedule I to Schedule III by administrative order within 60 days of enactment, overriding usual CSA scheduling procedures. Also establishes a short title for the law. The change would legally reclassify cannabis at the federal level from the most-restricted category (no accepted medical use/high abuse potential) to a lower-restricted category that recognizes medical use and lower abuse potential; the bill contains no spending, expungement, or tax provisions.