Why he must decriminalize it...
Dear Friend,
President Trump recently said that his administration could act on marijuana reform in the coming weeks and is “looking at” moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA currently lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning the federal government considers it to have no accepted medical use and criminalizes it. However, people use marijuana for health issues such as chronic pain, anxiety, and epilepsy. Drug scheduling has often been shaped more by politics and stigma than by science.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump himself said he believed it was time to end needless arrests and incarceration for adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We agree. And that’s why his administration must remove it from the CSA completely.
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But if his administration instead moves marijuana to Schedule III, it would still leave it criminalized under federal law—allowing people to continue being arrested and incarcerated for marijuana-related conduct. While Schedule III may ease tax burdens for marijuana businesses, that change alone doesn’t address the bigger issue: ordinary people will continue to face punishment for marijuana while large corporations profit.
We know that removing marijuana from the CSA (or descheduling) is the only way to truly end the harms of marijuana prohibition and put people over profits. Sign our petition urging the Trump administration to deschedule marijuana now! We’ll deliver the petition and signers to his administration over the coming weeks.
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Descheduling must be paired with common-sense reforms to:
-End federal criminal penalties once and for all. Criminal penalties can block access to jobs, housing, and other essential needs.
-Advance expungements for those with marijuana convictions. This helps ensure a fair playing field, so everyone has access to jobs and economic opportunities including those in the marijuana industry.
-Protect public health and consumer safety. This looks like age restrictions to protect youth, clear labeling so people know what they are consuming, and education on the risks of use and ways to be safer when consuming.
-Invest marijuana tax revenue in communities harmed by prohibition. This funding can support addiction services, reentry programs for people who have been incarcerated, and assistance with housing, employment, and education.
And Americans across the political spectrum want this. Polling shows that nearly 9 in 10 Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use. This is an opportunity for President Trump to deliver meaningful reform by descheduling—not just rescheduling—marijuana.
Anything less than descheduling falls short because it will continue criminalizing people for marijuana. It will leave everyday Americans at risk of being arrested, incarcerated, and saddled with criminal records that can create lifelong barriers to housing, jobs, and so much more. We can’t let these harms go on! With the Trump administration potentially making a decision soon, please sign our petition urging them to deschedule marijuana.
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Sign the Petition
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Sincerely,
Cat Packer
Director, Drug Markets and Legal Regulation
Drug Policy Alliance.
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