U.S. Sen. Ted Budd and 21 other senators signed a letter opposing an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that fast-tracks the reclassification of marijuana under federal law.
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By Annie Dance | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary
U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., released a statement Thursday opposing an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that fast-tracks the reclassification of marijuana under federal law.
The order directs federal agencies to move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III, a change that would ease research restrictions and allow the Food and Drug Administration to further study potential medical uses. The White House has said the action does not legalize marijuana nationwide or authorize recreational use.
Budd criticized the move, arguing it would jeopardize public health and safety while financially benefiting the marijuana industry.
“Rescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III substance and putting more money in the pockets of marijuana companies is a shortsighted policy decision that will have detrimental effects on the health and safety of Americans, especially our nation’s youth,” Budd said. He cited what he described as well-documented risks, including addiction, mental health disorders, cardiovascular events, and increased traffic and workplace accidents.
Budd also warned that rescheduling could affect federal drug testing requirements for safety-sensitive jobs. He said the change would limit the Department of Transportation’s ability to test for marijuana use among pilots and commercial truck drivers. “We should not be handing tax breaks to bad actors and foreign drug cartels to advertise a drug that will harm Americans,” Budd said.
Senate letter urges reconsideration
Budd also led 21 additional Republican senators in sending a letter to Trump urging him to reconsider the rescheduling decision. The lawmakers argued that marijuana continues to meet the criteria for a Schedule I substance, citing its potential for abuse and the lack of federally approved medical uses.
The letter references federal agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointing to studies linking marijuana use to mental health disorders, impaired judgment, workplace injuries and traffic crashes. It also cites risks associated with marijuana use during pregnancy, including adverse birth outcomes and potential long-term effects on child development.
The senators further objected to the financial implications of rescheduling. Because marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, businesses involved in its sale are barred from taking standard federal business tax deductions. The letter states that reclassifying marijuana to Schedule III would result in billions of dollars in tax relief for the industry, which lawmakers say would likely be used to expand marketing and operations.
“In light of the documented dangers of marijuana, facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans,” the letter states.
Among those joining Budd were Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and others.
Administration response
The Trump administration has said the executive order is intended to remove barriers to research and to better inform patients and doctors about the risks and potential medical benefits of marijuana and cannabidiol, or CBD. Marijuana is currently classified alongside drugs such as heroin and LSD, while Schedule III substances include medications like ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.
Public opinion on marijuana has shifted in recent years. According to a November Gallup poll, 64% of U.S. adults say marijuana use should be legal, though it remains prohibited under federal law outside of limited research and medical contexts.
As the formal rescheduling process continues, Budd and his Senate colleagues say they will keep pressing the administration to reverse course, framing the issue as one of public safety, workforce readiness and long-term health impacts.
I just left two sets of frothing messages for AIPAC tool Ted Budd and worthless controlled oppo Ron Johnson. That letter was really rich. Obviously, those are possibly the most clueless and stupid among our 525 worthless Israeli shills. I figure there are about 10 people left in the uS congress who deserve to be there and remember that the taxpayers exist and are in charge of what they do.
None of these pathetic congress critters understands the degree of use of medicinal marijuana, CBD in all its forms, etc. Otherwise, they would have shut the F___ Up and sat down. The uS congress is just a long running episode of dumb and dumber.
The parts about the FDA and stillbirths put me on the ceiling. The FDA is funded by the industries it is supposed to regulate, has worked it's bureaucratic butt off with it's fast moving revolving door - to sicken and kill as many American citizens as it possibly can. After the creation of the on-going global democide with the C 19 injection by the CDC and the FDA - how Ted Budd and his little crew of dummies could even think to use the lack of FDA authorization as a reason not to get Marijuana off Schedule One classification is absolutely beyond me.
And last week, a report came out proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the heinous, purely evil mRNA C19 injections are STILL causing stillbirths, as the injected continue to shed nanotech, genetic trash and who knows what else into the general population - some of which are pregnant. READ Pfizer's Exposure During Pregnancy protocol that was written BEFORE the C19 injection was inflicted on us. Genetic treatments HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONTAGIOUS AND ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN. This protocol was released by the FDA under court order in 04/2022. Parts of the EDP protocol itself was published in 04/2021 in on-line.
Congress has failed to stop the injection of this nightmare genetic soup contaminated with hydrogel, graphene, self-assembling bio-synthetic organisms, polyethylene glycol, SM102 and immortal hydra vulgaris, toxin creating synthetic snake venom organelles, and MUCH MORE.
And North Carolina's worthless Ted Budd thinks Marijuana is a problem?