Booker Statement on Justice Department’s Reclassification of State-licensed Medical Marijuana

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to Trump administration’s reclassification of state-licensed medical marijuana to a schedule III substance: “Finally, the federal government has loosened the decades-long policy that treated marijuana like heroin and methamphetamine, a policy researchers, elected officials, and everyday Americans have long understood was wrong. The Department of Health and Human Services recommended this change in 2023, and I had hoped the Department of Justice would have acted sooner. “Rescheduling marijuana as a Schedule III substance will bring financial and operational benefits to legal businesses in New Jersey. But there is still a long way to go. Unauthorized possession remains a crime. People will still be prosecuted, detained, and deported for marijuana offenses. Some will continue to serve prison sentences. Others will carry criminal records that follow them for years. “This is why we must deschedule cannabis altogether. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would take this overdue step, establish a comprehensive regulatory and taxation system, and provide resources to the communities disproportionately harmed by decades of federal criminalization that ignored science, public health, and basic fairness.” For years, Senator Cory Booker has been a leading advocate for marijuana reform, consistently pushing to end federal prohibition and address the harms of criminalization. He has sponsored and supported multiple pieces of legislation aimed at de-scheduling marijuana and establishing a more equitable federal regulatory framework. Booker has also repeatedly urged the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana under federal law, including a 2024 letter to DOJ leadership calling for the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. SEE ALSO: Booker, Norton Reintroduce Legislation to Safeguard Marijuana Rights in Federally Assisted Housing Booker, Schumer, Wyden Urge DOJ to Reschedule Marijuana Booker, Schumer, Wyden Lead Reintroduction of Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, Legislation to End Federal Prohibition of Cannabis Booker Statement on DOJ’s Reclassification of Cannabis as Schedule III Booker, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Swiftly Deschedule Marijuana