Marijuana Moment: Lawmakers And Advocates React To Marijuana Rescheduling Move By Trump Administration

[Tokeativity]

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 more potent than just ten or twenty years ago, leading to increased psychosis, anti-social behavior, and fatal car crashes. Arkansans don’t want more dangerous drugs obtained more easily. A change to marijuana’s drug classification is a step in the wrong…

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) April 23, 2026

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)

Should’ve announced it on 4/20 https://t.co/ZzmFJRl7PQ

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 23, 2026

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS)

The US Justice Department is expected to reclassify marijuana into a less restrictive federal category as soon as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Sen. Roger Marshall tells @jmathieureports he'll be "disappointed" https://t.co/prTrGwzEks pic.twitter.com/17kHKUoc4l

— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) April 22, 2026

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

This is a good first step, but Americans deserve MORE.

My bill, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, would end the criminalization of cannabis and correct the injustices from failed drug policies that disproportionately hurt communities of color and…

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) April 23, 2026

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)

Promises made, promises kept. Thank you, @POTUS, for reaffirming your commitment to expanding access to alternative healthcare options across the country. https://t.co/n3dEo4QTQz

— Dave Joyce (@RepDaveJoyce) April 23, 2026

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)

The Administration’s decision is a positive step toward commonsense cannabis policy reform, but work remains.

Although it eases restrictions on medical research and alleviates certain tax burdens on state-legal cannabis businesses, classifying marijuana as a Schedule III… https://t.co/X3LjYHmX2R

— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) April 23, 2026

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)

“Today’s DOJ decision is a small step in the right direction but is limited in its application since it doesn’t affect recreational marijuana possession under federal criminal law, nor remove the disproportionately harsh life-altering criminal penalties associated with it. Those include not qualifying for federal nutrition assistance and restrictions on federal housing. As a longtime advocate for removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, I will continue to work to get marijuana reclassified so that the lives upended by misguided federal prosecutions can be avoided.”

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)

I’ve spoken to countless veterans in Orange County who use marijuana to relieve PTSD symptoms. 
 
With the Administration moving to reclassify cannabis as Schedule III, my colleagues should join me in considering smart, evidence-based policy that supports the well-being of those…

— Rep. Lou Correa (@RepLouCorrea) April 23, 2026

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI)

Let's be blunt: we need full legalization now! https://t.co/aUM0q4TMHm

— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) April 23, 2026

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

Reclassifying Marijuana does NOTHING to lower the cost of health insurance premiums.

UNAFFORDABLE health insurance is the major issue plaguing the majority of Americans.

Trump’s answer give them marijuana.

It’s honestly pitiful that the Republican Party flat out refuses to…

— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (@FmrRepMTG) April 23, 2026

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D)

“It’s high-time the federal government is finally catching up to states like Colorado that have led on safe, regulated medical and adult-use cannabis. By expanding research opportunities and reducing unnecessary barriers for legitimate business, this change helps move policy in a more rational direction while improving public safety. There is still more work to be done to fully deschedule cannabis and end the disconnect between federal law and what’s working on the ground in a super-majority of states, but today’s decision is a step in the right direction.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)

“Florida has the medical that was passed by the voters… I mean, you see a lot of these stores around the state… I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing, but it is what it is. And so that’s been something that’s been on the books in Florida, and that’s something that we’ve abided by for a number of years now.”

See DeSantis’s comments, starting at 26:35 into the video below:

Advocacy Groups

Marijuana Policy Project

“Rescheduling cannabis is a historic move towards sanity in cannabis policy. We hope that this will open the door to more medical research, inspires states to guarantee access to safe, regulated cannabinoids for patients who desperately need them, and that the regulated industry might finally be treated more fairly under the federal tax code,” Adam J. Smith, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said. “But a move to Schedule III stops short of the systemic change we need. It does nothing to end hundreds of thousands of possession arrests each year, nor does it do anything to fix the untenable, ongoing disconnect between federal prohibition and the regulated state markets under which more than half of American adults live. While we welcome this important step, the federal government should treat cannabis the same way it treats alcohol, which means descheduling cannabis entirely.”

NORML

While today's order specifically addresses policy changes for state-licensed medical cannabis, it also states that "unlicensed bulk marijuana" remains classified as a Schedule I.

Read more from @NORML: https://t.co/uPgD0lb2TL pic.twitter.com/UBe9qeFP77

— NORML (@NORML) April 23, 2026

Drug Policy Alliance

“After years of delays and half-measures, Americans deserve marijuana reform that fully ends and addresses the harms of criminalization, which includes needless arrests, incarceration, and lasting barriers to jobs, housing, and employment. Partial rescheduling and a prolonged administrative process that may result in marijuana being moved to Schedule III means those harms remain in place,” said Cat Packer, director of drug markets and legal regulation at the Drug Policy Alliance. “We urge Congress to pass legislation that removes marijuana from the CSA entirely and regulates all cannabinoids–regardless of whether they are derived from marijuana or hemp. Comprehensive marijuana legalization must ensure public health protections, affordable access for patients, real opportunities for small businesses and workers, and reinvestment in communities. The American people have waited long enough and deserve more than a lengthy administrative process that will ultimately just arrive at Schedule III. Real marijuana reform must end federal criminalization once and for all and put everyday Americans first.”

Last Prisoner Project

“While President Trump’s decision to reschedule state legal cannabis is a historic step forward, it does nothing for the tens of thousands of Americans still locked behind bars for actions that are now legal in most of the country,” Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives for Last Prisoner Project, said. “Thankfully, President Trump has demonstrated he is willing to act boldly to correct outdated policies. By pairing rescheduling with clemency for people incarcerated for cannabis, he can cement his legacy as the leader who has done more for cannabis justice than any other president in American history.”

American Trade Association for Cannabis & Hemp

“Today’s decision by the Trump administration to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III marks the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy in over 50 years. This action recognizes what Americans have long known, cannabis is medicine. By opening the door to expanded research, rescheduling will shift our nation’s conversation around medical cannabis products and improve patient outcomes, ” Michael Bronstein, ATACH’s president, said. “For American businesses, this action brings long overdue equal tax treatment by lifting draconian tax penalties on state-legal businesses and allowing reinvestment in local jobs and communities.”

Smart Approaches to Marijuana

We are now confronted with the most pro-drug administration in our history…

The Trump administration has just rescheduled marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, bypassing the DEA’s rulemaking process. Beyond being bad policy, the administration’s decision is illegal, and… pic.twitter.com/IafEJ2JyuJ

— Kevin Sabet (@KevinSabet) April 23, 2026

National Action Network

“Moving marijuana to Schedule III is not justice—it is a half measure,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, president of National Action Network. “The federal government has spent decades locking up Black and brown people for a substance it has now quietly decided is less dangerous than it claimed. But the people who paid the price for that lie are still paying it. Justice demands more than a change in classification. President Trump must issue full presidential pardons for every individual imprisoned on marijuana-related charges, and every single one of their records must be expunged. Not some. Not most. Every one. You do not get to spend decades destroying lives over a policy you are now walking back, and call it progress without making those people whole. That is not justice, that is a reclassification of injustice.”

Second Amendment Foundation

Both of these cases are about people being prohibited because of their use of marijuana (and in our case medical marijuana). The government in Hemani relied on marijuana’s classification at class 1 as an indication that the government believes its use is dangerous, and…

— SAF (@2AFDN) April 23, 2026

Celebrities And Commentators

Ricky Williams, former NFL player and co-founder of Project Champion

“Today’s decision feels like a long-overdue first down in a game that’s been stuck at the line of scrimmage for decades. It’s not a touchdown, but it finally moves the chains in a meaningful way. For years, people have been using cannabis as part of their wellness; quietly, often without support from the medical system. Now we’re starting to see a shift where policy is catching up to lived experience. What excites me most is the potential for deeper understanding. When you open the door to research, education, and real dialogue between patients and doctors, you create space for healing that goes beyond stigma. This isn’t just about access; it’s about integration, about recognizing cannabis as one tool in a much broader approach to health and well-being.”

Jim McMahon, former NFL player and co-founder of Project Champion

“For a lot of us, this isn’t theoretical, it’s personal. We’ve lived with the pain, the injuries, and the long-term effects that come with playing this game. For years, the only options we were given were pharmaceuticals that often created as many problems as they solved. Rescheduling cannabis is a step in the right direction because it opens the door for real research and gives doctors better tools to understand what patients are actually experiencing. But let’s be clear—this is just a step. Guys across the country are still dealing with inconsistent access, and too many people are forced to navigate a system that doesn’t fully support their choices. We need to keep pushing until patient care, not outdated policy, is what drives the conversation.”

Kyle Turley, former NFL player and co-founder of Project Champion

“Calling this a win is premature. This is a correction. For decades, patients were told this plant had no medical value while they were using it to stay off opioids and manage real pain. That disconnect cost people careers, reputations, and in some cases, their lives. Rescheduling finally acknowledges what patients and veterans have been saying all along, but it doesn’t fix a system where access depends on your zip code and stigma still shapes policy. If this is the NFL, we’ve moved the chains, but the clock’s still running and patients are still waiting. It’s time to finish the drive.”

Ann Coulter

I wonder which of the idiot Trump sons had invested in this. pic.twitter.com/0aSNVDPNib

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) April 23, 2026

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