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Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Give Mixed Reactions To Marijuana Rescheduling News From Trump Administration

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Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are making a potentially immediate decision President Donald Trump to move forward with federal marijuana overhaul—Democrats like Rep. Alex Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) call the reform a “no” and others like Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) have pushed back against the proposal.

It was first reported on Thursday that Trump plans to sign an executive order on the reorganization, possibly directing the attorney general to complete the process started by the Biden administration to reclassify cannabis under Title III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Since then, several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have weighed in on the plan in interviews with Marihuana Moment. While Democrats may disagree with the president on many policy issues, they have generally welcomed news of the restructuring’s development, though they would eventually like to see the federal ban end entirely rather than increase change.

Ocasio-Cortez said it was a “no brainer” to implement the policy change, which would legalize marijuana but remove some barriers to research and allow cannabis businesses to take a federal tax deduction, symbolically recognizing the plant’s medical value.

“I have honestly felt that it has been a race between the two major parties to get reform,” said the congressman. “I mean, it’s inevitable, so of course I’m all for that move.”

Asked about reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Trump not to reschedule, Ocasio-Cortez said an executive order would bypass lawmakers who oppose it. The speaker “has no pen” in such orders, he said.

“If he wants to try to pass some legislation and push his entire Republican team to do that, I think that’s within his power,” the congressman said.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, told Marihuana Moment that while it’s true that Trump plans to advance rescheduling, that would be a “game changer” and a “huge” accomplishment.

However, he said that it is difficult for any member of parliament to take his word seriously, “because the president has often changed his position on various policy issues in the past. “I hope (he will act on the rescheduling) and it will come true,” he said.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), another co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, told Marijuana Moment that “Trump’s proposal would be a positive step toward cannabis policy reform, but more work remains.”

“While it would ease restrictions on medical cannabis research and alleviate some of the tax burden on state illegal cannabis businesses, classifying marijuana as a Schedule III substance still allows for the unfair and disproportionate incarceration of recreational users and limits access to banking services for cannabis businesses,” he said. “We must continue to address the systemic inequality associated with scheduling cannabis as a dangerous drug.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), for his part, did not weigh in on the merits of the reconsideration proposal, but told Marijuana Moment that he was with the president Thursday afternoon and “didn’t hear that” about plans to end the reform process.

One of the House’s most outspoken anti-marijuana lawmakers, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), insisted that he doesn’t “agree with everything the president does, and I don’t.” He also appears to question the veracity of recent reports about the imminence of a restructuring move, stating that he was told “for sure” it would happen on Thursday, which did not materialize.

There have been mixed reports on the timing of a possible reconsideration action, with some sources still hopeful it will happen on Friday, CNBC to report that the executive order would be issued on Monday of next week and as early as Axios to report that the reform is expected to come early next year.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), told Marihuana Moment that rescheduling is a “terrible idea” and noted that he had never discussed the issue with the House Speaker.

In a statement Friday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said she was “encouraged to see the first move by the Drug Enforcement Administration under President Biden to reorganize marijuana, and I urge President Trump to continue that effort.”

“Common sense tells us that marijuana should not be in the same category as deadly drugs like heroin, and reclassifying it is a small step forward in creating economic opportunity, supporting research into the medical benefits of marijuana, and increasing public safety,” he said. “However, much more work remains to be done. I will continue to advocate for the complete decriminalization of marijuana and the expungement of the records of Americans convicted of marijuana possession.”

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) reacted to the news by criticizing the Biden administration after it “failed” to complete marijuana rescheduling, and said he hopes the Trump administration doesn’t make the “same mistake.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, discussed the news development on an episode of his “The Huddle” podcast on Friday and said Trump’s potential reshuffle action, like other policy issues, “comes back to power and money.”

“There are a lot of people who instinctively think it’s a good play with young voters,” he said. “The bottom line, this whole reclassification, really comes down to the financial part of this.”

Spicer added that there is a “bank part” because cannabis companies have long faced a federal ban on accessing banking services, regardless of state laws. However, it inflated the impact of the reorganization on that issue, because placing marijuana in Schedule III of the CSA would not make it federally legal, so some banks would likely continue to avoid serving the marijuana industry even if this modest reform were enacted.

“It’s a big business with a lot of money, and I have to believe that’s what it really comes down to,” he said. “The president is not running for re-election … there are a lot of people who will not be happy about this. I am one of them.”




“You walk through downtown (Washington, DC) or any city, it smells like pot and piss,” he added. “I think, given where we are as a society, the last thing we need to do is make drugs more accessible. I don’t think it’s a good idea, but I’ll tell you, I think where people are missing the story is: Follow the money.”

Trump said this in mid-August he would make the reorganization decision in a week. But despite the growing timeline and rumors, a White House spokesperson told Marihuana Moments on Thursday that “no final decision has been made on rescheduling marijuana.”

The Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon that Trump planned to issue an executive order to federal agencies to move ahead with cannabis rescheduling.

The outlet also said the president met with marijuana industry executives Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this week in the Oval Office. with Secretary of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. During that meeting, Trump called Johnson, the House Speaker, who spoke out against the cannabis redistricting,

If the administration ultimately enacts the rescheduling, it would mark one of the most significant developments in federal marijuana policy since its prohibition half a century ago, when it was banned under Article III. With a reclassification, marijuana has medical value and a lower abuse potential compared to Schedule I drugs like heroin.


It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.


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Trump endorsed the rescheduling — as well as an initiative to legalize access to industrial banking and adult use in Florida — on the campaign trail. The president had been silent on the issue since taking office for a second term, until a meeting in August where, in response to a reporter’s question, he announced that the administration would decide to reschedule in a few weeks.

The possibility of an immediate rescheduling announcement comes a few weeks later the president signed a major spending bill that would effectively ban most consumer hemp productsdrawing criticism from hemp industry players who say the policy change would wipe out the market.

LCB Contributed reporting from Washington DC

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Building Nevada’s most vertically integrated cannabis operation

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Nevada is one of the most competitive retail cannabis markets in the United States, and Deep Roots Harvest has been betting for years that the way to win is to control everything. 11 cultivation, processing, manufacturing, extraction and retail locations all under one roof, or pretty close to it. Chris O’Ferrell, Deep Roots Harvest’s Chief Cultivator, runs the growing side of that operation in two facilities totaling 30,000 square feet, pushing 500 pounds of harvested cannabis per week and 2,000 pounds of biomass per month.

“The Source and Deep Roots harvest retail team sells 75 kilos of cannabis daily, 500 kilos weekly, over a third of which is in-house to support the High Heads, Neon Moon and CAMP brands. We cultivate, extract, process, manufacture and work the retail locations,” says Chris. “We have one of the largest market shares in Nevada in terms of retail volume and gross sales.”

That volume is produced by 60 full-time employees at the two sites, and the crop program behind it is, by any reasonable measure, built for efficiency and quality. “Many of the genetics in our library consistently exceed 100 grams per square foot, which directly helps reduce our overall cost per gram,” explains Chris. “We operate with a consumer-first approach, focusing on cost consciousness while providing tasty and competitive offerings. We operate below 70 cents per gram, a benchmark that reflects careful cost management. Getting there and staying there has required compressing costs at all input levels while continuing to invest in technology that moves the needle on quality, cost efficiency and performance.”

© Deep Roots Harvest Chris O’Ferrell, Chief Cultivator at Deep Roots Harvest

Genetics as intended by the producer
The transition of light is a clear example of this, as is the case with cannabis. In the beginning, the company used your classic HPS lights. As LED technology advanced, Deep Roots made the switch. However, it wasn’t just about improving energy efficiency. Chris and the team understood that the more precisely the crop was targeted, the better the final product would be. Energy savings don’t necessarily show up on retail shelves, but crop control does, in the form of flowers that express their genetics the way the grower intended.

To achieve this level of control, the spectrum became a critical tool. “We start with the spring setting, using the blue light to regulate the spacing of the interiors and control the spacing,” he explains. “As the plants progress, we move to the summer spectrum until the end of week eight, switching to a broader spectrum light with balanced wavelengths. This increases the red light, along with other parts of the spectrum to more closely replicate sunlight. We also increase the light intensity during the flowering phase to improve the plant’s photosynthetic performance, accumulation and photosynthetic activity. The parameters support the initiation of flowering, accelerate maturation and allow the plant to reach its potential they allow him to fully express his genetics.”

Nothing is left to chance
At canopy level, plants from the two largest facilities are housed in two-gallon coco pots, chosen to accommodate longer growing periods and larger plant structures. The second facility operates stone wool. Both use substrate sensors in connection with fertigation control, and track performance at different growth stages. Dissolved oxygen is injected into the root zone to increase availability, and a chlorine injection system keeps the lines clear of pathogens with a relatively inexpensive cleanup compared to conventional cleaning programs. “A chlorine injection system is relatively inexpensive to implement, replacing approximately $40,000 in other cleaning and disinfection products annually,” says Chris. “It’s all about being ahead of the curve.”

Pest management is entirely biological, implemented in conjunction with mechanical and cultural controls. “We haven’t had any pest problems,” says Chris. “This was also a decision based on reducing inputs while maintaining, if not improving, the quality of the product.”

Genetics is the backbone of cannabis operations and the gas that drives the company’s engine. They receive the same systematic treatment as all other parts of the operation. A steering committee reviews the portfolio quarterly, withdrawing underperforming cultivars and acquiring replacements based on market data from multiple markets, cross-referenced with gaps in the current menu. The criteria are repeatable agronomic performance, yield, potency, distinctive flavor profile and the ability to wash well for extraction, ensuring strong yields for both rosin and resin production. “All genetics need to adapt to the program,” says Chris. “Unique production, potency and flavor expression that fills the void of what we don’t have on the menu. It’s about finding a commercial cultivar that works well and fits the existing infrastructure. All the cultivars we grow now have a similar and predictable growth structure. The difference is the color, the smell, the experience. They are very close agronomically.”

For more information:
Harvest deep roots
deeprootsharvest.com

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Marijuana Reform Group Polls Consumers About Freedoms Where They Live Ahead Of 4/20

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Ahead of the unofficial cannabis holiday on 4/20, a leading marijuana reform group is asking consumers to take a poll about the freedoms they experience (or lack thereof) where they live.

The new 2026 Cannabis Freedom Survey from the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) includes the questions: “Where you live, how free are adults to legally possess and access cannabis?” and “Where you live, how concerned are you about the legal consequences for cannabis users?”

The survey “is designed to capture the real-time sentiment of cannabis consumers in the United States and abroad to see how individuals experience the politics of cannabis in their daily lives,” NORML said.

The the questioning It also includes a question asking people to choose “the most important step that would increase the freedom of cannabis where you live.”

Options include ending marijuana arrests, legalizing adult marijuana, allowing adults to grow their own cannabis, allowing the sale of legal cannabis, making legal cannabis cheaper, clearing records and resolving past convictions, changing federal cannabis laws and protecting consumer rights (parental, workplace, housing, health).

In addition, it asks whether respondents at the national level fully respect marijuana policy for consumer freedom, whether it is moving in the right direction, stagnant without significant progress, or regressing.

“In some jurisdictions, cannabis comes with real freedom. In others, it still comes with real consequences,” NORML Director of Development JM Pedini said in a press release. “This survey is about capturing that gap, not just what the laws say, but how people actually experience them.”

Pedini told Marijuana Moment that the organization will likely compile the results and release them a few days before 4/20.

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Governor vetoes medical cannabis bill

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The veto pen is one of the most powerful tools in the Mississippi Legislature, and Governor Tate Reeves has used it throughout his tenure. This year, his vetoes have mostly targeted public health bills so far, with more to come.

There are three ways Reeves could handle the bills that passed both chambers. He can sign bills he supports and allow them to become law without his signature. He can also block legislation he disagrees with by vetoing a bill or part of it and deferring it to a future legislative session.

As of Wednesday, April 8, he has vetoed four bills, half as many as in the previous two sessions, but Reeves will continue to review the legislation and reject more proposals in the coming days.

Reeves vetoed two medical marijuana bills that passed the Legislature this session, dealing a fatal blow to bills that have already faced friendly chambers. One of the bills, the “Right to Try Medical Cannabis,” contained only one specific provision that Reeves disputed. The original intent of the bill, which Reeves praised, was to expand the opportunity to try medical marijuana to those with debilitating conditions that fall outside the scope of current law.

Read more at Clarion Ledger










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