Without medical cannabis as the core of federal reform, many lose both their moral compass and political influence.
By Cannabis Businesses & Professionals United for National Medical Cannabis
It is clear that opposition to cannabis is on the rise—fueled by moral panic, misinformation and the “Big Marijuana” narrative. A well-funded and strategic counteroffensive is needed to prevent us from losing all the gains we have made.
The House Appropriations Committee approved a budget for the Department of Justice last week. In the FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Other Related Agencies legislation (CJS), provisions were included that allowed for the Drug Enforcement Administration to return into states where cannabis programs are in place.
In addition, the CJS budget bill included language which would prohibit President Donald Trump from making any decisions on cannabis schedule. It should alarm our whole community. And yet, the loudest pushback came not from businesses, but from patients—our most committed, but consistently under-resourced, allies.
The Most Important Asset
In the press’s coverage of Trump’s recent comments on cannabis schedule, they focused on Trump’s promise to provide a “determination” within weeks. The real message was what Trump said: that he had heard “great news about medical cannabis.”
It’s a fact that medical cannabis has been the foundation of federal policy reform in Washington, D.C. It’s an important truth to remember, given the challenges facing marijuana businesses and professionals.
Cannabis Reform Will Not Bring Banking and Tax Reform
Washington barely moved despite a flood new laws and businesses.
Over ten years have passed since Americans for Safe Access helped Congress to pass a law that barred DOJ from interfering with state medical programs. Still, banking reforms, tax equity and interstate commerce are all out of reach. The stigma and discrimination that patients continue to experience is a barrier.
Corporate cannabis seems to have shifted its focus from medical expansion towards the cannabis business, at great expense. It was clear that the Department of Health and Human Services concluded cannabis had “currently recognized medical uses” and recommended it to be placed on Schedule III.
The cannabis community did not celebrate the medical use of cannabis. Instead, they focused their attention on tax breaks.
This pivot has brought attention to the issue and may have generated some short-term gains, but this approach is not what Congress actually wants. It’s not about patients. Washington has been paralyzed by policy for a decade.
Many people lose both their political and moral influence when federal reform isn’t centered on medical marijuana.
Medical Cannabis is a great way to get started.
We are most strongly opposed to medical cannabis. Medical cannabis is a life-saver, reduces costs of healthcare and has widespread public support.
Think about the numbers
- Chronic Pain: Cannabis is used by nearly 30 percent of patients with chronic pain to relieve their symptoms, and often as a substitute for opioids. More than 68,000,000 Americans are affected by chronic pain.
- Cancer Patients report that cannabis is used to relieve symptoms of pain, anxiety and sleep loss.
- Cannabis use among older adults: 1 in 5 of the population over 65 years old now uses cannabis. Those who use cannabis in states that allow it for medical purposes report positive effects on arthritis, quality of sleep, and life. The fastest-growing segment of cannabis consumers is this demographic.
- Veterans: Around 22 percent of veterans use cannabis to manage PTSD, chronic pain and sleep disturbances—yet they still face stigma and federal obstacles.
- The Washington Post reported that dispensaries in counties have seen a drop of 30 percent or more over the years.
Roadmap
You may be unaware of the history behind the current cannabis market if you joined it in the past five or ten years.
Patients have worked on developing a plan for years to create a medical marijuana program in the United States.
The plan has been a success year after year: state medical cannabis program, product safety protocol for the cannabis supply chains, Congress passed annual protections to medical cannabis programs.
When this White House attempted to weaken these protections in the past year, ASA gathered national patient organizations to push Congress to restore it. HHS has recently concluded that marijuana is “currently used for accepted medical reasons”. This is the culmination of more than 20 years’ worth of patient advocacy.
Not A Zero-Sum Choice
Supporting the medical use of cannabis is not the same as opposing its adult usage. Centering the market around medical cannabis actually strengthens it all.
Their stories bring bipartisan support, and they can bridge cultural divides.
President Trump’s comments—”great things about medical”—weren’t just a passing remark. The only constant thread of cannabis policy, across parties, administrations and decades is that medical cannabis will be around for a long time.
We can change the discussion, reduce the negative backlash and achieve the federal framework that patients deserve if we focus on these “great things”.
The Patients have a Plan and they need our support
Steph Sherri, the founder of Americans for Safe Access and author of MEDCAN24’s recent op-ed entitled “It’s Time for Congress Create a Federal Pathway for Medical Cannabis Access”, explains that the next stage in the struggle for access involves comprehensive federal legislation. Histories has shown that the medical aspect must be first.
The patients laid the political and moral foundations for reform. Today, they remain its most powerful engine. Patients alone can’t win this battle. We must invest in efforts to put the patients’ needs and our own at the forefront of this fight if we wish Washington to take action.
The Cannabis Businesses & Professionals United for National Medical Cannabis is an Action Group of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) that is uniting business stakeholders, professionals and investors who believe in the power of cannabis medicine—and who are ready to finish what patients started: building a national medical framework integrated into the U.S. healthcare system.