Key Takeaways
- • Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) welcomed the DOJ's April 2026 decision to reschedule state-licensed medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III, but emphasized this represents only a partial step toward comprehensive federal cannabis reform.
- • Cohen continues advocating for complete removal of recreational marijuana from Schedule I classification and elimination of criminal penalties, citing ongoing federal incarceration of approximately 3,000 individuals for non-violent and marijuana-related offenses.
- • Current federal law imposes collateral consequences beyond incarceration for cannabis convictions, including disqualification from SNAP, TANF, and federal housing assistance programs—restrictions Cohen aims to address through the RESTORE Act.
- • Cohen held a coordinated advocacy push on April 20, 2026, partnering with major reform organizations including NORML, ACLU, Drug Policy Alliance, and Law Enforcement Action Partnership, alongside formerly incarcerated individuals and policy advocates.
- • The congressman is pressing the Trump administration for expedited cannabis descheduling and seeking pardons or commutations for the 3,000 individuals currently imprisoned for marijuana-related federal crimes.
Summary
Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) issued a measured response to the U.S. Department of Justice's April 23, 2026 decision to reschedule state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. While characterizing the move as "a small step in the right direction," Cohen emphasized that the rescheduling does not address recreational marijuana use, which remains classified under Schedule I, nor does it eliminate the criminal penalties that have shaped the lives of individuals convicted under federal marijuana laws.
The core of Cohen's ongoing advocacy focuses on the compounding collateral consequences of federal cannabis criminalization beyond incarceration itself. Individuals with federal marijuana convictions face disqualification from critical federal nutrition assistance programs (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and federal housing programs—restrictions that Cohen argues undermine rehabilitation and increase recidivism. He has championed the RESTORE Act as legislative machinery to restore access to these programs and is actively pursuing clemency and pardon pathways for approximately 3,000 individuals currently incarcerated in federal prisons for non-violent and marijuana-related crimes.
On April 20, 2026, Cohen convened a coordinated press conference with representatives from Students for Sensible Drug Policy, NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, ACLU, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and Law Enforcement Action Partnership, alongside formerly incarcerated individuals and policy advocates. At this event, he intensified calls for the Trump administration to expedite full cannabis descheduling rather than maintain the current Schedule I classification for recreational use. Cohen's statements positioned comprehensive cannabis reform as a criminal justice and public health priority, contrasting the administration's approach to non-violent offenders with its issuance of 1,500 pardons for January 6-related convictions.
Cohen has also directly engaged executive branch officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and DEA Administrator Terry Cole, requesting status updates on cannabis policy implementation. His legislative and advocacy strategy reflects a multi-pronged approach: securing immediate relief through executive clemency, advancing statutory reform through bills like the RESTORE Act, and maintaining pressure on federal agencies to complete the descheduling process beyond the limited medical marijuana reclassification achieved in April 2026.
The core of Cohen's ongoing advocacy focuses on the compounding collateral consequences of federal cannabis criminalization beyond incarceration itself. Individuals with federal marijuana convictions face disqualification from critical federal nutrition assistance programs (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and federal housing programs—restrictions that Cohen argues undermine rehabilitation and increase recidivism. He has championed the RESTORE Act as legislative machinery to restore access to these programs and is actively pursuing clemency and pardon pathways for approximately 3,000 individuals currently incarcerated in federal prisons for non-violent and marijuana-related crimes.
On April 20, 2026, Cohen convened a coordinated press conference with representatives from Students for Sensible Drug Policy, NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, ACLU, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and Law Enforcement Action Partnership, alongside formerly incarcerated individuals and policy advocates. At this event, he intensified calls for the Trump administration to expedite full cannabis descheduling rather than maintain the current Schedule I classification for recreational use. Cohen's statements positioned comprehensive cannabis reform as a criminal justice and public health priority, contrasting the administration's approach to non-violent offenders with its issuance of 1,500 pardons for January 6-related convictions.
Cohen has also directly engaged executive branch officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and DEA Administrator Terry Cole, requesting status updates on cannabis policy implementation. His legislative and advocacy strategy reflects a multi-pronged approach: securing immediate relief through executive clemency, advancing statutory reform through bills like the RESTORE Act, and maintaining pressure on federal agencies to complete the descheduling process beyond the limited medical marijuana reclassification achieved in April 2026.
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