Colorado policymakers and advocacy groups are responding to reports that the federal government could begin loosening restrictions on marijuana, according to insiders in Washington. According to the Washington Post, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to pursue reclassification of marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III, the same category as drugs like Tylenol and codeine. Rescheduling marijuana would increase opportunities for medical research, potentially lower criminal penalties for possession and distribution, and enable more FDA oversight, potentially paving the way for FDA approval of cannabis-derived medications. However, it would not fully legalize the drug at the federal level. Gov. Jared Polis, who advocated for marijuana policy reform during his time in Congress and as governor, celebrated the news of a possible rescheduling. “To be blunt, it’s far past time for the federal government to catch up to Colorado and get rid of arcane federal policies on cannabis that aren’t based in reality and hurt Colorado small businesses and public safety,” he said. “For years, Colorado has been a national leader in smart and safe cannabis policy that has virtually eliminated illegal markets, ensured safe use, and generated billions of dollars for education. I urged the Biden administration to get this done and I am glad to see this effort continue. Colorado’s cannabis industry is the gold standard ensuring that products are safe and regulated. It’s good to see the federal government finally following suit, but it’s frustrating it’s taken this long.” One Chance to Grow Up, a statewide organization that advocates for policies to protect children from THC products, said it would oppose any federal effort to reclassify marijuana to a lower schedule. “Such a move would endanger youth, misrepresent current science, and primarily serve the interests of the commercial marijuana industry without prioritizing public health,” said the organization’s national policy director Diane Carlson. “Rescheduling would send the wrong message at the wrong time. High-potency marijuana products continue to expand across legalized markets, and evidence of their risks to the developing brain continues to grow. A blanket classification of marijuana at any potency and any amount as a Schedule III substance implies a lower potential for misuse and accepted medical uses that the science still doesn’t support, according to new research.” Carlson urged federal, state and local leaders to consider the widespread consequences of marijuana and its new and different ultra-potent products, regardless of federal action. “We must all keep working to create a strong regulatory environment to protect America’s kids at every level of government,” she said. Colorado’s medical and retail marijuana industries are regulated by the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, or MED. According to the agency’s spokesperson, Heather Draper, MED leadership met on Friday to discuss next steps should marijuana be rescheduled at the federal level. “If marijuana is rescheduled, we expect it will reduce some barriers to industry operators and likely inform changes to state regulatory frameworks,” she said. “However, there is little we can comment on without seeing the details of the executive order, if issued. While we are preparing for next steps, until we learn more, we see it as status quo for our regulatory framework in Colorado.” Efforts to reschedule marijuana began during the Biden administration in 2023 following a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services. However, the process stalled when the Drug Enforcement Administration failed to complete administrative reviews before the end of Biden’s term. The DEA was supposed to hold an administrative hearing on the proposal to reschedule marijuana, but that hearing has yet to happen due to legal holdups. Medical marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2000, and the state became the first in the country to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012 with the passage of Amendment 64. ...read more read less