Republican congressman and military veteran Brian Mast (FL) has penned a Washington Times op-ed in which he urged President Trump to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, calling it “the responsible choice for America.”
(Photo credit: Ting Shen/AP).
Writing in the Washington Times, the lawmaker argued that rescheduling would reflect the growing evidence of marijuana’s medical benefits while ensuring safe access for patients, especially veterans.
“Marijuana is currently classified alongside meth and heroin as having ‘no accepted medical use,’ but Mr. Trump can change the stigma that fails to reflect its proven benefits for so many Americans,” he wrote. “By rescheduling, he will expand patient access and advance his ‘America First’ agenda at a pivotal moment.”
The congressman, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, emphasized that rescheduling is about health care, not recreational use.
“Rescheduling isn’t descheduling, and it isn’t about encouraging recreational use or opening more dispensaries,” he said. “It’s about responsibly expanding medical access and research.”
Drawing on his own military background, he described the role cannabis has played in helping veterans manage pain and transition away from dangerous opioids.
“As a veteran, I know firsthand the pain of being prescribed addictive drugs after service-related injuries,” he wrote. He recounted the struggles of fellow servicemembers, including a SEAL Team 6 veteran who turned to marijuana after becoming addicted to prescription opioids. “After years of damage to himself and his family, it was cannabis that brought him back to the man and warrior we knew.”
Citing a survey of 510 veterans in which 91% said cannabis improved their quality of life, he criticized restrictions that prevent Veterans Affairs doctors from recommending it.
“Keeping marijuana at Schedule I creates unnecessary barriers, denying veterans the treatments they need and deserve after sacrificing for our country,” he said. He pointed to his own Veterans Equal Access Act, passed by the House earlier this year, as part of a broader effort to cut red tape for veterans’ care.
He also stressed that regulated access can protect public health.
“Far from fueling an increase in use, regulated markets have helped drive this reduction by limiting unsafe, unmonitored access,” he wrote. “Rescheduling would build on this success, strengthening oversight, protecting young people and ensuring cannabis is accessed safely, responsibly and legally.”
The congressman closed by throwing his full support behind Trump’s plan. “I stand with Mr. Trump’s pledge to reschedule marijuana, a promise he reaffirmed during a recent press conference,” he said. “Although these benefits alone would be a win for Americans, rescheduling would also protect Americans by curbing illicit markets and ensuring safer, regulated access.”
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