US State Weighs Marijuana Reclassification Following Federal Rescheduling Push

Alabama health officials will hold a public hearing this week on whether to reclassify marijuana at the state level, mirroring the Trump administration's federal rescheduling action. Under Alabama law, a federal drug rescheduling automatically triggers matching state reclassification within 30 days unless officials formally object. State statute requires the State Board of Health to publish its reasons for objecting and give interested parties a chance to testify; control under the relevant chapter stays in place until the board issues a final decision. The Alabama State Committee of Public Health issued a preliminary objection in May, citing the need for more time to sort out implementation given the state's newly launched medical cannabis program. State health officer Scott Harris said then that Alabama "fully intends" to follow the federal change but wanted to delay automatic action: "We're not saying Alabama's not going to do this... but if you receive it without objection, it's scheduled immediately. If you do nothing, it's scheduled within 30 days. I'm going to ask you to take the third option, which is to object. Then we just have a little bit of time to figure this out with all of our other stakeholders." Harris announced the committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 22, to gather input before deciding whether to maintain its objection or move forward with rescheduling. Written comments can also be submitted through August 5. Harris's notice states that because Alabama has invested significant effort building its own medical marijuana dispensing framework, more time is needed to assess whether federal rescheduling would affect that legislative structure, and the hearing will let the Alabama Department of Public Health hear from residents and stakeholders. The federal shift stems from an April order by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, which immediately moved marijuana products regulated under state medical cannabis licenses, and any FDA-approved marijuana products, from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. A separate administrative hearing process is still considering broader rescheduling. Other states are handling the issue differently. A Republican South Carolina senator declared medical marijuana "now legal" there under a trigger law. Wyoming's attorney general ruled this month that the state will not reclassify marijuana despite the federal change. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed legislation this session blocking an automatic review that could have legalized medical marijuana under state law following federal rescheduling.