The House Appropriations Committee has given approval to a fiscal year 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) spending bill that could stall federal cannabis reform and expand enforcement against state medical marijuana programs.
The bill includes Section 607, which would prohibit federal funds from being used to reschedule or deschedule marijuana, effectively freezing the Drug Enforcement Administration’s ongoing review of a move to Schedule III, which was recommended by Health and Human Services.
Specifically, the section states that “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise 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).”
Another provision, Section 529(b), would gut the long-standing Medical Cannabis Amendment, also known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, that has protected state medical programs from federal interference since 2014. By tying enforcement to the federal “Drug Free Zones” law, the language would allow the Justice Department and DEA to target marijuana businesses operating within 1,000 feet of schools, universities, public housing, and even video arcades — areas that cover many state-licensed dispensaries.
The move comes less than a month after President Donald Trump told reporters he was open to rescheduling marijuana, calling the issue “a very complicated subject” but noting he had “heard great things” about medical use for pain management.
Advocates warn the House language would derail that process and open the door to renewed raids on medical marijuana providers.
“It seems House Republicans are out of touch — even with President Trump when it comes to medical cannabis,” said Steph Sherer, founder of Americans for Safe Access. “These riders are a green light for the DEA to raid state medical cannabis programs. It’s the Project 2025 playbook in action — federal agencies sent in to override voters and legislatures, this time targeting patients and providers.”
For more than a decade, the amendment protecting state medical cannabis laws has passed with bipartisan support, reflecting the broad consensus that patients in the 40 states and Washington, D.C., with medical marijuana programs should be protected. The proposed appropriations bill would mark a sharp reversal, stripping away those protections while blocking rescheduling efforts now underway.
Despite committee approval, its chances in the full House and Senate remain uncertain. A staffer for a GOP member of the Senate tells us “I’m incredibly doubtful the rescheduling provision has near enough support to pass the full Senate. I doubt it will even pass the House.”
A Senate version of the same spending bill currently does not include the provision to block rescheduling.
