If marijuana rescheduling is finalized as President Donald Trump instructed on Thursday, the practical policy impact on the federal level will be somewhat limited, as cannabis would remain illegal. But lawmakers in states like Pennsylvania and Tennessee say the political effect could ultimately prove more impactful as they work to enact local reforms in the next year.
The executive order Trump signed directs the attorney general to complete a process to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which would let cannabis businesses take federal tax deductions and lift certain research barriers.
While it wouldn’t legitimize state marijuana programs in the eyes of the federal government, the decision by a Republican president to loosen longstanding cannabis laws and recognize its medical benefits could embolden on-the-fence legislators at the state level, who may see it as a signal that the politics of the issue are shifting and there’s a lower risk of federal enforcement action.
In Pennsylvania, for example, bipartisan lawmakers who’ve been working to enact adult-use legalization over recent sessions without success so far say Trump’s rescheduling action could grease the wheels in the new year.
“I think that having President Trump, in
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
