Trump’s embrace of pot has Republicans in Congress fuming

OG article by Lauren Brensel and Amanda Friedman

January 2, 2026

President Donald Trump has announced plans to deregulate marijuana by accelerating its rescheduling from Schedule I to Schedule III, allowing easier research, reduced taxes for cannabis businesses, and potential Medicare coverage for certain CBD products in pilots. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports the move, praising cannabis compounds for treating chronic pain, PTSD, and epilepsy, while acknowledging risks.

This decision has provoked strong backlash from congressional Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged delay, and letters from 22 Senate GOP members—including leaders like John Barrasso and Tom Cotton—and 26 House members led by Pete Sessions and Andy Harris warned of addiction, cartel empowerment, child endangerment, and impaired driving. Critics argue rescheduling normalizes a harmful drug.

The initiative advances a 2024 Biden-era proposal via the DEA without directly finalizing rescheduling, also seeking congressional review of hemp-derived product restrictions. Kennedy, a former legalization advocate, views the science as mixed. The split underscores GOP divisions, with traditional conservatives opposing what some call Trump's most pro-marijuana stance ever, contrasting party support for his other policies. Recent congressional actions restricted psychoactive hemp compounds, opposed by figures like Rand Paul for economic reasons in states like Kentucky.