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Schedule III:
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Latest From MPP
News & Updates
Apr 28, 2026
Louisiana: Jail back on the table for some cannabis use
This is an attempt to bring back the draconian penalties that Louisiana was infamous for in decades past. This bill seeks to undo years of hard work by advocates for ending jail time for minor cannabis offenses.
April 23, 2026
The DOJ has approved rescheduling — here’s what’s next
Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Apr 23, 2026
U.S. Justice Department Reclassifies Cannabis to Schedule III
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the United States Justice Department (DOJ) reclassified cannabis, moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Adam J. Smith, Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization, released the following statement in response to the reclassification:
"Rescheduling cannabis is a historic move towards sanity in cannabis policy. We hope that this will open the door to more medical…
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What People Are Saying
Michelle Alexander, professor, civil rights advocate, legal scholar, and author of "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness"
"What is most fascinating about the marijuana legalization debate is how long it has taken us to get to this point. The potential harm associated with smoking marijuana pales in comparison with the harm suffered by the millions who have been arrested, jailed and branded criminals simply because they were caught with the drug."
Rick Steves, travel writer, author, activist, and television personality
"There are so many reasons to end the prohibition on marijuana. Whether you're concerned about the well-being of children, fairness for our minority communities, redirecting money away from criminals and into our state's coffers, stemming the horrific bloodshed in Mexico, or civil liberties, it is clearly time for a new approach."
United States Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH)
"Whether a state is pro-legalization or anti-legalization, we can all agree that the current federal approach to cannabis policy is not working. As President Trump has acknowledged, the existing policy has caused unnecessary harm and squandered taxpayer dollars by diverting law enforcement resources from combatting violent crimes to making needless arrests and facilitating incarcerations for small possessions of state legal marijuana. "
David Irving, former NFL player
"I want to change the bias toward marijuana. I want to educate America that it’s not a drug, it’s medicine. The real reason I’m not in the NFL is that I’d rather be out here saving lives."
United States Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
"As more states continue to legalize marijuana and public support increases, federal laws must catch up and reverse failed policies criminalizing marijuana."
Illinois State Senator Heather Steans
"MPP is the most effective and influential cannabis policy driver in the U.S."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
"Our federal marijuana laws perpetuate our broken criminal justice system, impede research, restrict veterans’ access, and hinder economic development."
Sebastian Marincolo, philosopher and author of "High: Insights on Marijuana"
"The legalization of marijuana is not a dangerous experiment—the prohibition is the experiment, and it has failed dramatically, with millions of victims all around the world."
Carl Sagan, astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and author
"The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
United States Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
"Legalization represents a seismic shift away from the failed policies that have perpetuated this harm for decades. Legalizing adult use of cannabis is more than just allowing recreational use, it’s about addressing the deep-rooted inequalities that have disproportionately affected communities of color."
Pat Robertson, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network
"I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do we say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?"
Former President Jimmy Carter
"Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use."
United States President Donald J. Trump
"I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. "
Governor of Maryland Wes Moore
"Our new adult-use cannabis market isn't only generating extraordinary economic activity – it's also helping us build new pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all. Making Maryland more competitive means ensuring that everyone can reap the benefits of Maryland’s economic growth. "
Former U.S. President Barack Obama
"I do believe that treating this [marijuana] as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it."
Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris
"I just feel strongly people should not be going to jail for smoking weed. And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail.
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Sen. Cory Booker
"For decades, the failed war on drugs has locked up millions of nonviolent drug offenders — especially for marijuana-related offenses — at an incredible cost of lost human potential, torn-apart families and communities, and taxpayer dollars."