Governor Beshear has called on President Trump to oppose recent congressional efforts to block the Drug Enforcement Administration from rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act.
In a letter sent this week, Beshear urged Trump to reject language in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill that would prevent the U.S. Department of Justice—which oversees the DEA—from using federal funds to reschedule cannabis. The move could halt ongoing federal efforts to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less-restrictive Schedule III status.
Reclassification would acknowledge marijuana’s medical uses and reduce federal restrictions, allowing for broader access to medical cannabis, expanded research opportunities, and potential public safety improvements.
Beshear emphasized that patients deserve safe access to cannabis for treatment and that rescheduling could lead to relief for more Kentuckians and Americans. He argued that blocking the rescheduling process undermines public health and scientific progress, especially since the DEA’s proposal followed recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In spring 2024, the DEA announced its intent to reclassify marijuana, a move that would formally recognize its medical potential and shift it away from the same category as heroin or LSD. Schedule III substances are considered to have a moderate to low risk of dependence and accepted medical uses.
The Governor called the congressional provision “not common-sense law” and criticized it for circumventing the expert-driven rescheduling process. He urged that decisions about drug classification be left in the hands of medical and scientific professionals rather than politicians.
The fate of the appropriations language remains uncertain as federal budget negotiations continue.
