{"id":82273,"date":"2025-07-16T04:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/usda-database-describes-marijuana-as-medicinal-even-as-federal-government-keeps-it-in-schedule-i\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T19:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T03:48:25","slug":"usda-database-describes-marijuana-as-medicinal-even-as-federal-government-keeps-it-in-schedule-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/usda-database-describes-marijuana-as-medicinal-even-as-federal-government-keeps-it-in-schedule-i\/","title":{"rendered":"USDA Database Describes Marijuana As \u2018Medicinal\u2019 Even As Federal Government Keeps It In Schedule I"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

While the U.S. government still officially considers marijuana a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, federal agencies are increasingly breaking with that position. In one notable example, an entry in a Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant database describes the use of Cannabis sativa<\/em> as having \u201cmedicinal\u201d uses.<\/p>\n

The entry appears in Dr. Duke\u2019s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, a USDA guide that\u2019s widely seen as a leading source of information on the relationship between people and plants. Developed by agency botanist James A. Duke, the database contains facts about chemical compounds produced by plants, biological activities they might affect and how they\u2019ve been used by people historically.<\/p>\n

USDA\u2019s identification<\/a> of cannabis as a \u201cmedicinal\u201d plant seems to conflict with its federal Schedule I status, a category reserved for substances with \u201cno currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the government has weighed moving marijuana to a lower schedule, the process has been stalled since the final days of the Biden administration, continuing into President Donald Trump\u2019s time in office<\/a> this term.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s far from unanimous within the government that cannabis is not medicine, however. In 2023, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a rescheduling recommendation, determined that cannabis \u201chas a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States\u201d<\/a> and has a \u201cpotential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) also acknowledges<\/a> on its website \u201cevidence that cannabis can be effective in treating some forms of pain\u201d as well as \u201cemerging evidence that it may have additional therapeutic uses.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the USDA listing, it notes that THC\u2014the chemical component of cannabis that puts it in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act\u2014is associated with a variety of therapeutic actions, showing potential to treat pain, convulsions, spasticy, glaucoma, eating disorders and more.<\/p>\n

Reform advocates said the government\u2019s broad position that cannabis isn\u2019t medicine is increasingly untenable amid growing evidence of marijuana\u2019s therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cScientific consensus has long challenged the federal government\u2019s longstanding \u2018Flat Earth\u2019 position toward cannabis,\u201d Paul Armentano, deputy director of the advocacy group NORML, told Marijuana Moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs society\u2019s understanding of cannabis\u2019s therapeutic utility has evolved, along with its medicinal use and acceptance among patients and health-care professionals,\u201d he added in response to a question about the new USDA listing, \u201cit is growing impossible for federal agencies to deny the reality that cannabis is medicine\u2014even if the federal government, or specifically Congress, has yet to formally adopt this position.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the group Marijuana Policy Project, meanwhile, Interim Executive Director Lauren Daly said that \u201cthe growing recognition of cannabis\u2019s medical benefits is encouraging, yet it stands in stark contrast to the federal government\u2019s outdated stance that cannabis has no accepted medical use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis disparity isn\u2019t just hypocritical; it highlights the urgent need for the\u00a0rescheduling process\u00a0to move forward,\u201d she told Marijuana Moment in a statement.\u00a0\u201cConsidering cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, it\u2019s past time for federal policy to catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, told Marijuana Moment that the group is \u201cglad to see the USDA coming to the same conclusion as the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Student Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Preventive Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences Institute Of Medicine (IOM), the National Association for Public Health Policy, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarijuana is medicine. It is legally recommended for medical use to close to 5 million Americans by around 30,000 doctors in 38 states and the District of Columbia,\u201d she said, pointing to comments SSDP filed in the ongoing rescheduling process. \u201cMarijuana absolutely does not belong in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and it is a legal farce that flies in face of both scientific evidence and accepted practice that it has remained there for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) again notified an agency judge that the marijuana rescheduling process remains stalled under the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been six months since DEA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) John Mulrooney temporarily paused hearings on a proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that was initiated under the Biden administration. And in a joint report to the judge submitted on Monday, DEA attorneys and rescheduling proponents said they\u2019re still at an impasse.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo date, Movants\u2019 interlocutory appeal to the Acting Administrator regarding their Motion to Reconsider remains pending with the Acting Administrator. No briefing schedule has been set,\u201d the notice says.<\/p>\n

That came 90 days after both parties sent the judge an identical update, albeit when a different acting administrator was in charge.<\/p>\n

DEA and the witnesses involved in the interlocutory appeal must provide another update in 90 days. But for the time being, any action on the proposed rule to reschedule marijuana is evidently contingent on DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy.<\/p>\n

Murphy\u2019s appointment as acting administrator wasn\u2019t widely publicized, but he\u2019s replaced Derek Maltz\u2014who subscribes to the \u201cgateway drug\u201d theory for marijuana<\/a>\u2014 in the role as the Senate considers confirming President Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the agency, Terrance Cole.<\/p>\n

In May, a Senate committee\u00a0advanced the nomination of Cole to become DEA administrator<\/a>\u00a0amid the ongoing review of the\u00a0marijuana rescheduling proposal that he has so far refused to commit to enacting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cole\u2014who has\u00a0previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana<\/a>\u00a0and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth\u2014said in response to senators\u2019 written questions that he would \u201cgive the matter careful consideration after consulting with appropriate personnel within the Drug Enforcement Administration, familiarizing myself with the current status of the regulatory process, and reviewing all relevant information.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, during an in-person hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in April, he said\u00a0examining the rescheduling proposal will be \u201cone of my first priorities\u201d<\/a>\u00a0if he was confirmed for the role, saying it\u2019s \u201ctime to move forward\u201d on the stalled process\u2014but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.<\/p>\n

Mulrooney, the agency judge, initially agreed to delay the proceedings after several pro-rescheduling parties requested a leave to file an interlocutory appeal amid\u00a0allegations that certain DEA officials conspired with anti-rescheduling witnesses<\/a>\u00a0who were selected for the hearing.<\/p>\n

The DEA judge initially agreed to delay the proceedings after several pro-rescheduling parties requested a leave to file an interlocutory appeal amid\u00a0allegations that certain DEA officials conspired with anti-rescheduling witnesses<\/a>\u00a0who were selected for the hearing.<\/p>\n

Originally, hearings were set to commence on January 21, but\u00a0those were cancelled when Mulrooney granted the appeal motion<\/a>. He ordered DEA and the witnesses to provide a joint status update within 90 days, which would be this coming Sunday.<\/p>\n

The appeal came after the judge denied a motion that sought DEA\u2019s removal from the rescheduling proceedings altogether, arguing that it is improperly designated as the chief \u201cproponent\u201d of the proposed rule given the allegations of ex parte communications with anti-rescheduling witnesses that \u201cresulted in an irrevocable taint\u201d to the process.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Justice Department told a federal court in January that it should\u00a0pause a lawsuit challenging DEA\u2019s\u00a0marijuana rescheduling process<\/a>\u00a0after Mulrooney canceled the hearings.<\/p>\n

Also in January, Mulrooney\u00a0condemned DEA over its \u201cunprecedented and astonishing\u201d defiance<\/a>\u00a0of a key directive related to evidence it is seeking to use in the marijuana rescheduling proposal.<\/p>\n

At issue was DEA\u2019s insistence on digitally submitting tens of thousands of public comments it received in response to the proposed rule to move cannabis to Schedule III.<\/p>\n

Mulrooney hasn\u2019t been shy about calling out DEA over various procedural missteps throughout this rescheduling process.<\/p>\n

For example, in December he criticized the agency for making a\u00a0critical \u201cblunder\u201d in its effort to issue subpoenas<\/a>\u00a0to force Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials to testify in hearings\u2014but he allowed the agency to fix the error and ultimately granted the request.<\/p>\n

Relatedly, a federal judge also dismissed a\u00a0lawsuit seeking to compel DEA to turn over its communications<\/a> with an anti-cannabis organization.<\/p>\n

Mulrooney\u00a0had separately denied a cannabis research company\u2019s request<\/a>\u00a0to allow it to\u00a0add a young medical marijuana patient and advocate as a witness in the upcoming rescheduling hearing.<\/p>\n

Also, one of the nation\u2019s leading marijuana industry associations asked the judge to clarify whether it will be\u00a0afforded the opportunity to cross-examine DEA during the upcoming hearings<\/a>\u00a0on the cannabis rescheduling proposal.<\/p>\n

A coalition of health professionals that advocates for cannabis reform recently asked that the DEA judge halt future marijuana rescheduling hearings<\/a>\u00a0until a federal court is able to address a series of allegations they\u2019re raising about the agency\u2019s witness selection process.<\/p>\n

The rescheduling proceedings have generated significant public interest. While moving marijuana to Schedule III wouldn\u2019t federally legalize it, the reform would free up licensed cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions and remove certain research barriers.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, two GOP senators introduced a bill in February that would continue to block marijuana businesses from taking federal tax deductions under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code 280E\u2014even if it\u2019s ultimately rescheduled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beyond the hearing delays, another complicating factor is the change in leadership at DEA under the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was previously vocal about his support for legalizing cannabis, as well as psychedelics therapy. But during his Senate confirmation process in February, he said that he would\u00a0defer to DEA on marijuana rescheduling<\/a>\u00a0in his new role.<\/p>\n

Separately, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was reportedly photographed reviewing a document that appears to be a draft contract to provide services\u2014including \u201cadministration-related guidance\u201d\u2014to a firm affiliated with the major marijuana company Trulieve<\/a>. The visible portion of the document describes a lucrative bonus if a certain \u201cmatter resolves,\u201d with an \u201cadditional \u2018Super Success Fee\u2019\u201d for other \u201cexclusive policy remedies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Late last month, the former congressman reiterated his own support for rescheduling cannabis\u2014suggesting in an interview with a Florida Republican lawmaker that the GOP could win more of the youth vote by embracing marijuana reform<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gaetz also said last month that Trump\u2019s endorsement of a Schedule III reclassification was\u00a0essentially an attempt to shore up support among young voters<\/a>\u00a0rather than a sincere reflection of his personal views about cannabis.<\/p>\n

A survey conducted by a GOP pollster affiliated with Trump that was released in April found that\u00a0a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms<\/a>, including rescheduling. And, notably, they\u2019re even more supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal interference compared to the average voter.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Trump picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to run DOJ, and the Senate confirmed that choice. During her confirmation hearings, Bondi\u00a0declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana policy issues<\/a>. And as state attorney general, she opposed efforts to legalize medical cannabis.<\/p>\n

Amid the stalled marijuana rescheduling process that\u2019s carried over from the last presidential administration, congressional researchers recently reiterated that\u00a0lawmakers could enact the reform themselves with \u201cgreater speed and flexibility\u201d<\/a>\u00a0if they so choose, while potentially avoiding judicial challenges.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a newly formed coalition of professional athletes and entertainers, led by retired boxer Mike Tyson, sent a letter to Trump on Friday\u2014thanking him for past clemency actions while emphasizing the opportunity he has to best former President Joe Biden by\u00a0rescheduling marijuana, expanding pardons and freeing up banking services<\/a>\u00a0for licensed cannabis businesses.<\/p>\n

The post USDA Database Describes Marijuana As \u2018Medicinal\u2019 Even As Federal Government Keeps It In Schedule I<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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While the U.S. government still officially considers marijuana a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, federal agencies are increasingly breaking with that position. In one notable example, an entry in a Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant database describes the use of Cannabis sativa as having \u201cmedicinal\u201d uses. TheContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82273"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82274,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82273\/revisions\/82274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}