Marijuana rescheduling blocked by congressional committee

July 17, 2025 -ALABAMA - The article from Marijuana Moment, published on July 14, 2025, reports on a GOP-controlled House committee's new spending bill that aims to prevent the Justice Department from rescheduling or descheduling marijuana. While blocking rescheduling efforts, the bill notably retains a provision protecting state medical cannabis programs from federal interference, though with new language allowing for enhanced penalties near schools and parks. This legislative move comes as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has indicated that the marijuana rescheduling process remains stalled under the current administration. The text also touches on related political discussions surrounding cannabis reform, including the potential for Trump's administration to influence rescheduling and the varying perspectives on marijuana policy among political figures and the public.

The proposed bill is a new spending bill unveiled by a GOP-controlled House committee, specifically the measure covering Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS).

What is the bill's purpose?

Its primary purposes are:

To block marijuana rescheduling: The bill contains explicit provisions to prevent the Justice Department from using its funds to reschedule marijuana (from Schedule I to Schedule III) or to remove it entirely from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This hostile language is aimed at the ongoing rescheduling efforts that began under the Biden administration and remain stalled.

To preserve state medical marijuana program protections (with new caveats): The bill aims to maintain a longstanding rider that prevents the Justice Department from interfering in the implementation of state medical marijuana programs. However, it introduces new language authorizing enhanced penalties for cannabis sales near schools and parks. This means the Justice Department can use funds to enforce violations of 21 U.S.C. 860, which mandates increased penalties for distributing cannabis within 1,000 feet of places like elementary schools, colleges, playgrounds, or public housing units.

To preserve state hemp research program protections: The CJS bill also keeps intact a longstanding rider that prevents the Department of Justice (DOJ) from interfering in state hemp research programs.

It is uncertain whether this specific bill will become law.

Here's why:

Past Precedent of Failure: The sources explicitly state that language similar to the current bill, which aimed to block marijuana rescheduling, "cleared committee as part of the last CJR spending bill, but it was not ultimately enacted into law". This is a significant piece of information, as it shows that even if this bill successfully navigates the committee stage, it has faced and failed to overcome further legislative hurdles in the past.

Early Stage in the Process: While the bill has been unveiled by the House Appropriations Committee and was scheduled for subcommittee action, this is an early step in the multi-stage legislative process required for a bill to become law. It still needs to pass through the full House, potentially the Senate, reconcile any differences between chambers, and then be signed by the President.

Broader Opposition and Stalled Efforts: The bill is part of a larger political and legislative challenge to federal cannabis reform. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)'s marijuana rescheduling process itself remains stalled, and while there are efforts to advance reform, there are also strong efforts to block it, as evidenced by this bill and previous attempts by GOP senators.

In summary, while the bill has been introduced and is moving through the initial committee process, its track record from a previous attempt suggests that it faces significant challenges to ultimately become law.

Chey Garrigan is the founder and President of the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association, registered lobbyist, political operative, developer, and a real estate broker.

Opinions are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.