Gov. Andy Beshear, a representative of the Texas Attorney General’s office has appealed direct to President Trump to keep the momentum going on the move to Schedule III for cannabis. This is despite attempts by Congress to halt that process.
Beshear wrote a letter urging Trump to oppose language in the pending FY 2026 appropriations bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice and DEA from using funds to reclassify marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. The Governor emphasized how medical science, the public’s demand and the actions of his own administration in promoting medical cannabis accessibility support rescheduling. He reminded the President of his past campaign support for Schedule III reform.
Governor said that the rescheduling of medical marijuana would increase safe access to patients, improve medical research and decrease illicit market harms. Kentucky’s legal medical marijuana program is expected to launch in 2025. The state will rely on patient safety and regulatory readiness.
Beshear criticized the appropriations language as politics over policy, calling it “not common‑sense law” because it interrupts a process based on medical expertise. He said that the decision to use a drug should be left in the hands and expertise of scientists, rather than Congress deciding mid-stream.
Beshear, who warned that delays in reform could harm those seeking access to legal treatment and stall the process of reforming the DEA Administrative Law Court.