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Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) is calling out the DOJ and DEA for dragging their feet on President Trump’s directive to loosen federal cannabis restrictions. In a pointed letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and DEA Administrator Terry Cole, Cohen demanded a clear timeline for reclassifying the plant to Schedule III, noting that 99 days have passed since Trump’s executive order to expedite the process without any visible results.
Cohen sought clarity on the administrative gridlock, specifically questioning how the DEA expects to move forward while the position of Administrative Law Judge remains vacant. He pointed out that the process has been sidelined by procedural appeals and a lack of leadership, reminding officials that the federal government has known since the 1972 Shafer Commission that cannabis never belonged in Schedule I.
Framing the delay as a failure to rectify 50 years of “harsh and disproportionate” prison sentences, Cohen urged the administration to stop stalling and seize this “historic opportunity.” He made it clear that the agencies must stop the excuses and finally align federal law with both the president’s directive and the best available scientific data to end a half-century of cannabis being labeled as dangerous as herion.
This is a summary. Read the original article.
Original article written by Tony Lange. Published on March 27, 2026 by Cannabis Business Times.
