- Americans for Safe Access Statement Regarding DEA and DOJ’s Actions to Reschedule Cannabis (Marijuana) for Medical Accesson April 23, 2026 at 11:56 pm
Americans for Safe Access Statement Regarding DEA and Department of Justice’s Actions to Reschedule Cannabis (Marijuana) for Medical Access “This is a big day for medical cannabis patients. Our federal government recognizes our medicine as legitimate, which means we are not only entitled to tax-free access but to federal protections. For millions of Americans who rely on medical cannabis, this is more than a policy shift – it is validation. It affirms patients’ lived experience and represents an important step in the right direction.
- Trump Pushes Congress To Keep Full-Spectrum CBD Legal While Restricting Hemp Products That Pose ‘Health Risks’by Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 11:52 pm
President Donald Trump is urging congressional lawmakers to take action to amend a law that threatens to federally recriminalize hemp-derived full-spectrum CBD products in November. “I am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,” the president said in a Truth Social post on Thursday, the same day his administration announced it is moving forward to reschedule marijuana. “We must . . .
- Feds Announce Marijuana Industry Tax Guidance Is Coming As Rescheduling Takes Effectby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 11:31 pm
Federal officials said they plan to issue new tax guidance for the marijuana industry following a move by the Trump administration to reclassify cannabis that was announced on Thursday. Under an order from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, marijuana regulated by a state medical cannabis license will immediately move to Schedule III. Marijuana products such as those in state-legal recreational markets remain in Schedule I for now, however, subject to a hearing process this summer to consider broader rescheduling of cannabis. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service . . .
- NJ-CRC Issues $25,000 Plus in Finesby Dan Ulloa on April 23, 2026 at 9:06 pm
The NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) issued more than $25,000 in fines to different cannabis companies for a range of infractions. Unfortunately, none of them went to large Mult-State Operators (MSOs). Hashery Dispensary Fined 20 Grand Chief Counsel Dave Tuason explained that Hashery dispensary used an unapproved RV for advertisements and displayed cannabis paraphernalia openly. [ . . . ] Source: NJ-CRC Issues $25,000 Plus in Fines from Heady NJ
- Trump Says Medical Marijuana Is ‘The Best Of All The Alternatives’ For People Suffering With Illnessesby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 8:38 pm
President Donald Trump highlighted the medical benefits of marijuana on Thursday, hours after the Department of Justice announced it is moving ahead with a cannabis rescheduling proposal. “A lot of people are suffering from big problems, which this seems to be the best answer,” the president said in the Oval Office. “They’re very happy about it. So the rescheduling is starting, and that’s a big thing, rescheduling. They kept saying, ‘what about the rescheduling.'” Trump noted that his administration’s actions on cannabis rescheduling came after his friend Howard Kessler told him about how he . . .
- Acting US Attorney General Moves Medical Marijuana Along Schedule III Processby Dan Ulloa on April 23, 2026 at 7:54 pm
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that cannabis legalization progress has been made toward moving medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. According to a Department of Justice release (DOJ) under President Donald Trump (R), they are “immediately placing both FDA-approved products containing marijuana and marijuana products regulated by a [ . . . ] Source: Acting US Attorney General Moves Medical Marijuana Along Schedule III Process from Heady NJ
- Trump’s Rescheduling Move Could Change the Cannabis Industry Overnightby Hannah Eko on April 23, 2026 at 7:50 pm
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order Thursday to reclassify state-licensed medical cannabis as a less dangerous substance. The order intends to shift the designation of licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I βthe most restrictive category of drug classification for substances that have no medical value and potential for abuse including heroin, to the less restrictive Schedule III for substances, or chemicals, defined as drugs with a moderate, to-low potential for physical and psychological dependence alongside Tylenol with Codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and . . .
- NJ-CRC Elects Former Scutari Aide Harris Laufer as Chairby Dan Ulloa on April 23, 2026 at 6:59 pm
The NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) elected Harris Laufer as the new Chair and Jackie Ferraro as Vice Chair. The March 2026 NJ-CRC meeting was the last meeting of former Chair Dianna Houenou and the first of Ferraro. New NJ-CRC Chair and Vice Chair Elected At the beginning of the meeting, then Vice Chair Krista [ . . . ] Source: NJ-CRC Elects Former Scutari Aide Harris Laufer as Chair from Heady NJ
- Lawmakers And Advocates React To Marijuana Rescheduling Move By Trump Administrationby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 6:29 pm
The Trump administration’s announcement that it is moving ahead with the federal reclassification of marijuana on Thursday is generating headlines and drawing reactions from across the political spectrum. Lawmakers, advocacy groups and celebrities are weighing in-with many saying the move is long overdue, others arguing it doesn’t go far enough and some expressing concerns about what they fear will be negative consequences of the cannabis reform. Here’s what people are saying about federal marijuana rescheduling: Lawmakers And Elected Officials Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) Marijuana today is much . . .
- Tennessee Lawmaker Calls For Special Session Focused On Medical Marijuana As It’s Federally Reclassified Under Trumpby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 5:11 pm
A Tennessee lawmaker is calling on the governor and legislative leaders to convene a special session focused on legalizing medical marijuana access for patients. “For years, Tennesseans have been told to wait,” Rep. Jason Powell (D) said in a press release. “We created a commission. We studied the issue. We have heard from patients, doctors and families across this state. At some point, we have to be willing to act.” The legislature is set to adjourn for the year this week, but Powell wants Gov. Bill Lee (R) to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to create a state medical cannabis framework as . . .
- The U.S. Opens Its Medical Marijuana Market to Global Trade (For Now); Adult Use Rescheduling on Deckby Jason Adelstone on April 23, 2026 at 4:10 pm
U.S. joins much of the world in acknowledging medical marijuana The U.S. has joined much of the world in acknowledging medical marijuana. Let international trading begin! Effective April 22, 2026, the Attorney General “hereby order[s] that FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, as well marijuana in any form covered by a state medical marijuana license, be placed in schedule III of the CSA.” Based on this order, the United States acknowledges medical marijuana and has a fully functioning medical marijuana program (via state licensees). The final order applies to: (a) marijuana as . . .
- Justice Department Moves to Federally Reschedule State-Approved Medical Cannabis Productsby NORML on April 23, 2026 at 3:48 pm
“Today’s order marks a historical reversal in federal cannabis policy. It validates the experiences of tens of millions of Americans, as well as those of tens of thousands of physicians, who have long recognized that cannabis possesses legitimate medical utility, as well as the legitimacy of the longstanding medical cannabis access programs available in the majority of US states.” The post Justice Department Moves to Federally Reschedule State-Approved Medical Cannabis Products appeared first on NORML.
- Memorial Cultivation Is a Consumer Category First. The Industry Opportunity Followsby Christine Tullio on April 23, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Table of Contents Three Trends Walking Into the Same Room The Kit Is the Proof of Concept. The Platform Is the Business. The Caregiver Question That Schedule III Opens The Memorial Cultivation Digital Layer The Category Does Not Exist Yet – That Is the Point Anyone doing serious end-of-life planning faces decisions about their time, their belongings, their relationships. Some of them are now making one more: deciding what kind of memorial they want to leave, selecting a strain that represents them, and setting the whole thing in motion while they are still alive to do it. That is the actual . . .
- Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Shouldn’t Impact Case On Gun Rights For Users, Trump DOJ Says In Supreme Court Filingby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 3:28 pm
The federal rescheduling of marijuana announced by the Justice Department on Thursday doesn’t change how the Supreme Court should decide a pending case on cannabis consumers’ gun rights, the Trump administration said in a new filing. The court heard arguments last month in the case, U.S. vs. Hemani, that was brought by a man who is challenging his conviction for unlawful possession of a gun as a person who regularly used marijuana-with several justices appearing skeptical of the federal government’s legal defense of a law banning people who use illegal drugs from having firearms. In a letter . . .
- Trump Administration Moves State-Licensed Medical Marijuana to Schedule IIIby Noel Abbott on April 23, 2026 at 3:14 pm
The Trump administration on Thursday moved FDA-approved marijuana products and cannabis products sold under qualifying state medical marijuana licenses from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law, while also setting a new June 29, 2026 administrative hearing to restart and expedite the broader DEA rescheduling process. The Justice Department said the immediate action is meant to support medical research and state-regulated medical programs while maintaining “strict federal controls against illicit drug trafficking.” For now, the change affects only FDA-approved marijuana products and . . .
- BREAKING: Cannabis Rescheduling Becomes Federal Realityby Cannabis Now on April 23, 2026 at 2:49 pm
In a move that cannabis advocates, patients, entrepreneurs and reform activists have pursued for decades, the federal government earlier today officially reclassified regulated medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act – the most important federal cannabis policy shift in modern American history and one that immediately changes both the legal language and cultural meaning surrounding cannabis in the United States. For the first time since 1970, Washington is no longer officially maintaining that licensed medical cannabis has no accepted medical . . .
- Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Announced By Department Of Justice, Months After Trump Executive Orderby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 12:34 pm
The Trump administration is officially moving ahead with the federal reclassification of marijuana. More than four months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to expeditiously finish the process of moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday announced that rescheduling is finally happening. “These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana’s safety and efficacy, expanding patients’ access to treatments and empowering . . .
- Senate Committee Schedules Hearing On Bill To Support Psychedelics Research And Treatment For Veteransby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 12:20 pm
A U.S. Senate committee has scheduled a hearing for next week on a bipartisan bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would advance the development innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA. The legislation-titled the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act-is being led by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and is cosponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego . . .
- GOP Lawmakers’ Hemp Amendments To The Farm Bill Would Allow Continued Legal Sales Of THC Products Under Federal Lawby Tom Angell on April 23, 2026 at 11:13 am
Republican lawmakers have filed amendments to sweeping agriculture legislation that would push back the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products for another year and create a framework for continued legal sales, with new restrictions and clarifications. Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a drug-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 . . .
- Newsbrief: Rescheduling imminent, per Axiosby Week_admin on April 23, 2026 at 5:54 am
President Donald Trump is poised to move cannabis to schedule III “soon,” Axios scooped today. In December, Trump signed an executive order to expedite the rescheduling process initiated by his predecessor President Joe Biden. Since Trump’s move the administration has been largely silent on the rescheduling process, which remains murky. Also this month, Trump moved to expedite research and access to psychedelics as treatments for mental illness. As with many . . . Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to read this article. The post Newsbrief: Rescheduling imminent, per Axios appeared first on . . .
- Federal Bill Would Require Data Collection on Cannabis-Related Medicaid Spendingby TG Branfalt on April 23, 2026 at 5:19 am
A federal bill introduced on Monday would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect Medicaid spending on cannabis-related inpatient and outpatient care and emergency room visits related to cannabis use. The bill, sponsored by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd (R), comes just weeks after the launch of a pilot program that allows Medicare providers to get reimbursed up to $500 per patient annually to discuss and provide some hemp-derived cannabis products. In a statement, Budd contends that cannabis use has “serious” health consequences and that lawmakers need “to put . . .
- Cannabis Use Rates By Minnesota Teens Dropped from 2013 to 2025by TG Branfalt on April 23, 2026 at 5:18 am
Past-year teen cannabis use in Minnesota dropped sharply from 2013 to 2025, according to data from the 2025 Minnesota Student Survey. Among 11th-grade students, cannabis consumption rates nearly halved from 25.2% in 2013 to 12.7% last year. Rates of use among 9th-grade students fell from 13.8% in 2013 to 4.1% in 2025, while the rate of use among 8th-graders dropped from 7% to 2.5%. In a statement, Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham noted that despite the “positive trends” regarding use rates, the survey did find that some students “are encountering cannabis at young . . .
- Democratic Candidate for Iowa Gov. Releases Adult-Use Legalization Planby TG Branfalt on April 23, 2026 at 5:16 am
A Democratic candidate for Iowa governor on Monday released his plan to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. Rob Sand, who is currently the state auditor, called the proposal “a common-sense way to help close” the state’s nearly $1.4 billion budget gap. “Right now, Iowans are driving across state lines β and taking their tax dollars with them β to make these purchases. That’s revenue we’re losing that should be staying right here in Iowa. And we shouldn’t be using our tax dollars to lock people up for three hots and a cot for using cannabis in 2026. That’s why I’m announcing my plan to . . .
- NJ Psychedelic Expert Addresses Rutgers New Brunswick Student Group on Shrooms Legalizationby Jack Katina on April 22, 2026 at 11:16 pm
NJ Psychedelic Therapy Association (NJPTA) founder Denise Rue gave her perspective on the psilocybin shrooms research bill to Rutgers University New Brunswick student group RU Psyched. The NJ Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program She explained that the Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program was signed into law by former Governor [ . . . ] Source: NJ Psychedelic Expert Addresses Rutgers New Brunswick Student Group on Shrooms Legalization from Heady NJ
- How Psychedelics Helped Me Manage Grief From A Career In Law Enforcement (Op-Ed)by Marijuana Moment on April 22, 2026 at 9:03 pm
“What I experienced with ayahuasca was not an escape from grief, but a direct engagement with it . . . It was a fundamentally different process than the one I had relied on throughout my career-not control or suppression, but forgiveness, surrender and understanding.” By: Kemmi Sadler, Law Enforcement Action Partnership Life has an interesting way of opening your eyes-and your mind. Over the course of my law enforcement career, I built my identity around evidence, discipline and control. And to my surprise, it was that mindset that ultimately led me to reconsider everything I thought I knew about . . .























