Republican lawmakers in the House Appropriations Committee are pushing a spending bill provision that would prevent the Justice Department from allocating any funds toward efforts to reschedule cannabis under federal law, Marijuana Moment reports.
It is the second year in a row that GOP lawmakers have included the provision in the spending bill for federal Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). The effort directly counters the federal rescheduling process that the Biden Administration formally kicked off in 2024, and which President Trump vocally supported during his second presidential campaign.
The rescheduling process, however, may have stalled out permanently under the second Trump presidency after a DEA judge canceled a long-anticipated hearing for expert testimony on the issue. And in April, an unnamed White House official said the administration had “no action” planned for a cannabis policy update.
“SEC. 607. None of the funds appropriated or other wise made available by this Act may be used to reschedule marijuana (as such term is defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)) or to remove marijuana from the schedules established under section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812).” — Excerpt of the spending bill
Notably, the spending bill does include a longstanding provision that protects state-legal medical cannabis programs from federal interference. The latest version of that provision, however, would increase penalties for distributing cannabis near schools, colleges, playgrounds, or public housing, the report said.
Meanwhile, in the Senate Appropriations Committee, lawmakers have proposed a spending bill provision that would ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products nationwide after one year.
