Opinion: Schedule III Legislation Dangerous

On December 18, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating that Congress make a move on cannabis to move it from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III pharmaceutical. This has been widely promoted across the cannabis market as a step in the right direction, opening up more research opportunities, potential tax breaks, and possible access to the SAFE Banking Act. This is only what has been promised to the American people and not anything that has actually been set in stone. The primary fact that has become apparent to everyone is that the floor is open for comments for 30 days following the order. Here, on day 10, I urge you, if you enjoy your current cannabis market and look to one day see a market similar to the one we currently see with alcohol, write your state representative to have it REMOVED from scheduling. A movement to schedule III could open new opportunities to explore in the medical world of Cannabis, but it would massively kill the market we see today. Schedule III cannabis could only possibly benefit base investors, employees of the system, and banks. Schedule III movement would also greatly open the ballpark to big pharma companies and close off grassroots cannabis companies.

One thing that has stayed prevalent at the forefront of all of this is that people want more access to facts and medicine. Well, if people would like access to facts, here are some. Firstly, at the beginning of 2025, President Trump released the new budget. This budget had many new amendments and policies, one being the repeal of the previous Biden and Obama policies blocking the DEA from using taxpayer dollars to prosecute cannabis related offenses. In layman's terms, this allows the DEA to begin to prosecute cannabis companies if they wish. Cannabis related offenses can carry prison terms of 10 years to life sentences, as well as fines topping out at $50 million USD for companies and $10 million USD for individuals. Most companies hardly have this in liquid assets; prosecution would put many out of business. 99% of the individual population also does not possess $10 million USD in liquid assets, nor are they violent enough offenders to serve a sentence of 10 years to life. Secondly, Schedule III substances allow the federal government to overrule state jurisdiction and mandate that all  Schedule III products be FDA-approved. Yet again, this greatly opens the door for the DEA to move into states and begin prosecuting individuals and companies for violations that some may be ill-prepared for. No cannabis vapes, dried flower, concentrates, or ingestibles infused with cannabis oils and extracts are FDA approved. Just about every major company that most users can think of would be affected. The first four byproducts of cannabis that are FDA-approved are Epidiolex, Marinol, Syndro, and Cesame. Quickly searching Google for the substance names, their prices are as follows: Epidiolex: $32,000 USD annually with insurance, and $45,000 USD annually without.  Marinol is $88.06 with insurance for a 60-day supply, but without insurance, the price can range between $200 USD and $800 USD for a 60-day supply. Although some insurances do cover Marinol in full, meaning the consumer pays nothing. Syndro has a slightly steeper price, ranging from $ 4,750 USD to $ 5,500 USD per prescription. Lastly, Cesame has a price range so broad that, based on the quick research conducted, there is no single rounded number to present as the price point. This could be taken as it is always covered by insurance, or at the other end of the spectrum, the price is so ludicrous that it is not being presented to the public. These four compounds or prescriptions are, at the very least, the main ways the DEA will be looking for Cannabis to be administered at a Schedule III level. Many of the products sold now at the state level under cannabis will leave many companies and individuals vulnerable to prosecution and possibly closure. As progressive as this bill is, “aiming” in all honesty, it will probably stall out and limit the modern cannabis market we see now in America.

Another large push for cannabis to be moved to Schedule III is the fact that federally funded institutions could now use federal funds to conduct research on cannabis. This is honestly a great step forward for cannabis; however, the DEA and the Federal government do not seem to present an affinity to research cannabis flower itself, nor the effects following vaporization. Instead, they are looking ot study compounds extracted from cannabis plants, Delta-9-THC, CBD, CBC, CBG, CBN, and even more. Where this creates an issue is at the state level, many medical consumers are getting products that  are very much dependent on vaporization and do not have each cannabinoid isolated. Instead, what occurs during vaporization is what is commonly known as the “entourage effect.” The “entourage effect” has been cited through the minimal marijuana research that has happened in the US as being one of the most beneficial and medicinally aiding factors of cannabis, however. One research study conducted at the University of California at San Diego recently cited that vaporized cannabis flower containing both high levels of CBD and THC was the best migraine aid amongst the placebo, THC-only, and CBD-only counterparts. As we can see through this example, research already happens, especially in the less-regulated states. The addition of Federal Funding would be incredible; however, will they actually be researching the medicinal benefits that come from how medical marijuana is primarily administered, or will they be researching synthetic Cannabis compounds to extract and charge top dollar for?

Now that we’ve discussed products and possible pricing, there is one other concern that the Federal government looks to address with cannabis if the government were to legalize it. Their main concern or primary problem  is that the black market could grow exponentially. Citing the Oklahoma and California markets as major warning signs, the claim is that organized crime syndicates from foreign countries will move in and set up covert, illicit operations under the guise of the legal market. Some state legislation tries to combat this; in Oklahoma, those who hold permits must be state residents for two years. The greatest worry in the Oklahoma Marijuana market currently is organized crime rings from China, possibly connected to the CCP, setting up “legal” grows and using the vast majority of products to flood other states' black markets. While these concerns are backed by evidence and valid, many of our issues yet again revert to our own slow reactions and lack of prosecution. Many prosecutors are afraid to go after these entities directly, fearing international retaliation; however, many of these companies used massive legal teams as pawns to sign off on many of their operations. If we are looking to set an example, those lawyers and teams right there should be who the prosecution goes after first, using legislation such as the RICO Act and possibly even trying to charge these men and women with treason. At the end of the day, taking allegiance to another country that is not our ally could be seen as such, especially if some of these syndicates are tied to government infrastructure overseas.

While some of our biggest fears and international rivals may be moving in on the legal front, here at home, we face a fearful issue of limited access and mass market control amongst large cannabis companies already. One of the biggest companies in the US, the “Trulieve Company,” is spearheading this, throwing money wherever to push the market towards their control. Currently, their CEO is one of the three largest backers of President Trump’s recent bill. This would follow suit with the nearly one million USD they donated towards his different campaign funds and fundraisers. It does not, however, follow suit with the one hundred thousand USD donation in 2024 towards a bill in the Florida state government, allotting recreational use. If one were to truly believe that the markets should be free enough to allow recreational use, why would one fund cannabis still being on the DEA schedule for drugs? A quick look at the company, and they’ve already monopolized the Florida Medical marijuana market, with nearly seven operating dispensaries in Florida for every one operating dispensary in their next largest markets in Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Trulieve Company has also long been speculated to have ties to organized crime syndicates here in the US. While nothing has ever been proven, the company holds very little care towards cannabis, cannabis products, and the patients or consumers they serve. In 2023, they actually came under fire as an employee in one of their smaller recreational markets passed away from an allergic reaction while filling preroll cones. The company was presented as having no wrongdoing, as the employee had prior allergies, most likely linked to pollen. An unfortunate event, it does add to the question: Does this company actually have a passion for the product or a passion for making money? The employee was working a later shift with fewer peers around, a practice rather common in most factory-like settings. Practices like this certainly add to the claim that many of the companies involved are actually just big businesses trying to get their portion of the green cannabis rush here in the US.

Removing Cannabis from the Schedules altogether certainly seems fearless and hopeful at the moment. However, it could prove to be far more beneficial in the long term than a movement to Schedule III. It would allow small businesses to begin to show up or even stay in their recreational markets. The new, more open markets could drive the prices so far down that there should not be a need for a Cannabis Black Market in America. Federally funded institutions could also still move ahead with using federal funding to conduct research. Banks could also begin to take on Cannabis companies and could easily allow the use of debit cards. There could also be legislation revised and made to eliminate, prosecute, and even possibly export foreign entities looking to use the US as a stash spot for their large international drug exports. The main backers of President Trump’s latest bill are currently big businesses and politicians. These people do not have very much care or concern for the American populace as a whole, showing through high fiscal limitations and large lobbyist groups. The federal government and the lawmakers in it, unfortunately, work for the highest bidder. These are often groups such as “Big Oil” or “Big Pharma”. Groups with ridiculous amounts of money and large oligopolies. So, please consider writing to your State representatives and State Senators, let's not let big business take cannabis from us, too.