Politics
The Fight For Cannabis Reform Must Focus On Medical Patients—Not Taxes And Banking—In Order To Win (Op-Ed)
“Without medical cannabis at the center, federal reform loses both its moral compass and its political leverage for many.”
By Cannabis Businesses & Professionals United for National Medical Cannabis
It is clear that opposition to cannabis is on the rise—fueled by moral panic, misinformation and the “Big Marijuana” narrative. Without a strategic, well-funded counteroffensive, we risk losing the ground we’ve gained.
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed a version of the Department of Justice budget bill. The FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) legislation included provisions that would allow the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to come into states with cannabis programs once again.
The CJS budget bill also included language that would prevent President Donald Trump’s efforts to make any determination on cannabis scheduling. That should set off alarms across our community. And yet, the loudest pushback came not from businesses, but from patients—our most committed, but consistently under-resourced, allies.
Our Most Valuable Asset
Press coverage of Trump’s recent remarks on cannabis scheduling zeroed in on his promise to produce a “determination” within weeks. But the real takeaway was in what he said about cannabis: that he’s heard “great things about medical.”
Those words capture a truth in Washington, D.C.: medical cannabis remains the most politically viable foundation for federal policy reform. Given the headwinds facing cannabis businesses and professionals today, it’s a truth we can’t afford to ignore.
Banking And Tax Relief Isn’t Coming Without Major Cannabis Reform
Despite a flood of new state laws, new businesses and new participants, Washington has barely budged.
It has been over a decade since Americans for Safe Access (ASA) helped secure a cease-fire from Congress barring DOJ interference in state medical programs. Banking reform, tax fairness and interstate commerce still all remain out of reach. Patients continue to face stigma, discrimination, and patchwork access.
It seems corporate cannabis has pivoted toward non-medical expansion and the business of cannabis, walking away from the patient narrative at a great cost. This was evident in the aftermath of The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concluding cannabis has “currently accepted medical use” and recommending it be moved to Schedule III.
Instead of taking a victory lap for medical cannabis, the cannabis community focused on tax deductions.
This pivot may have delivered short-term growth and attention, but it abandoned the one proven path that has actually moved Congress: patients. The result is a decade of policy paralysis in Washington.
Without medical cannabis at the center, federal reform loses both its moral compass and its political leverage for many.
Leaning Into The “Great Things” About Medical Cannabis
Medical cannabis is our strongest counterpoint. It saves lives, lowers healthcare costs and commands overwhelming public support across the political spectrum.
Consider the numbers:
- Chronic Pain: Nearly 30 percent of chronic pain patients use cannabis for relief, often reducing or replacing opioids. More than 68 million Americans live with chronic pain.
- Cancer: Over 40 percent of cancer patients report cannabis use to manage symptoms such as pain, anxiety, sleep and appetite loss.
- Older Adults: One in five older adults now use cannabis. In medical states, many report benefits for arthritis, sleep and quality of life. This is the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis users.
- Veterans: Around 22 percent of veterans use cannabis to manage PTSD, chronic pain and sleep disturbances—yet they still face stigma and federal obstacles.
- Opioids: The Washington Post recently cited research showing that counties with dispensaries see up to a 30 percent reduction in opioid overdose deaths over time.
The Roadmap
If you have joined the cannabis space in just the last five years or even 10 years, you may not be aware of how we got here.
Patient advocates have been working on a strategy for decades for a national medical cannabis program.
Year after year, they have been hitting milestones on that plan: State medical cannabis programs, product safety protocols for the cannabis supply chain, Congress passing annual protections for medical cannabis programs, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) acknowledging cannabis’ medical value, removing barriers to research, Congress creating protections for medical professionals recommending cannabis to their patients and changing the schedule of cannabis in international drug treaties.
When the White House moved to undercut those protections this year, ASA convened national patient organizations and pushed Congress to restore them. And HHS’s recent finding that cannabis has “currently accepted medical use”? That reflects more than two decades of groundwork laid by patient advocates.
Not A Zero-Sum Choice
Supporting medical cannabis does not mean opposing adult use. In fact, centering medical strengthens the entire marketplace.
Patients bring credibility with policymakers, their stories generate bipartisan support and their experiences cut through cultural divides in ways that quarterly sales figures cannot.
President Trump’s comments—“great things about medical”—weren’t just a passing remark. They reflect the only consistent thread in cannabis policy across administrations, parties and decades: medical cannabis has staying power.
If we lean into those “great things,” we can shift the conversation, blunt the backlash, and finally achieve the comprehensive federal framework patients deserve.
Patients Have A Plan; They Need Our Support
As the founder of Americans for Safe Access, Steph Sherer, described in her recent Marijuana Moment op-ed, “It’s Time for Congress to Create a Federal Pathway for Medical Cannabis Access,” the next phase of the fight for access is comprehensive federal legislation. History has shown us medical has to come first.
Patients created the moral and political foundation for cannabis reform. They remain its strongest engine today. But patients alone cannot carry this fight. If we want Washington to move, we must put resources behind efforts that put patients and their needs back at the center of our fight.
The Cannabis Businesses & Professionals United for National Medical Cannabis is an Action Group of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) that is uniting business stakeholders, professionals and investors who believe in the power of cannabis medicine—and who are ready to finish what patients started: building a national medical framework integrated into the U.S. healthcare system.
