Rosen Applauds Department of Justice Rescheduling State-Licensed Medical Cannabis

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice announced the immediate rescheduling of FDA-approved and state-licensed medical cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug. In Nevada, the purchase, possession, and consumption of recreational cannabis has been legal since 2017, and medical cannabis has been legal since 2000.

"For years, Nevada has seen the positive impacts of regulating cannabis, and I'm glad to see the federal government is catching up. Rescheduling medical cannabis at the national level will help the legally-operating cannabis industry in Nevada, including the small businesses that rely on it," said Senator Rosen. "At the same time, we still need to fully reschedule and legalize cannabis at the federal level, and I'll keep working across party lines in the Senate to do so."

Senator Rosen has been an advocate for cannabis reform in Congress. Last Congress, she introduced the HOPE Act to help expunge cannabis convictions in states where it has been legalized or decriminalized. Senator Rosen also helped introduce the bipartisan SAFER Banking Act to ensure that legal cannabis businesses have access to banking and insurance services. Senator Rosen has also annually led a letter to Senate Appropriators requesting that funding be allowed for legally operating cannabis small businesses, including in Nevada.

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