Drug Policy Watch · Report 2026

Federal Drug Policy Brief, 2026

Snapshot (structured)

Cannabis federal status: Schedule I by default, with a narrow Schedule III carve-out for FDA-approved cannabis drugs and state-licensed medical cannabis (DOJ/DEA order, April 2026); recreational cannabis remains Schedule I.
Rescheduling status: Partial rescheduling completed for two narrow categories; the expedited DEA hearing on broader rescheduling ran June 29 to July 15, 2026 and is closed; post-hearing briefs are due August 17, 2026.
Hemp / intoxicating hemp: Federal definition narrowed to a total-THC standard via FY2026 appropriations; most intoxicating hemp products recriminalized effective November 12, 2026.
Psychedelics: Psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine all Schedule I; none FDA-approved; FDA fast-tracking review under April 2026 executive order; no approval yet.
Banking access: No federal safe harbor enacted; cannabis banking legislation was reintroduced in late June 2026 and is pending.
280E tax burden: Removed for state-licensed medical cannabis as of the April 2026 Schedule III order; still applies to recreational and to cannabis remaining in Schedule I.
Executive posture: Trump administration favors narrow medical rescheduling and FDA-gated psychedelic access; tougher on harm reduction and on intoxicating hemp.
Congress control: Republican-controlled House and Senate (119th Congress, 2025-2026).
Enclosure pressure score: 4/5
Bills tracked: Federal drug-policy bills tracked this session, updated each morning from LegiScan

Update: June 2026, the pharmaceutical enclosure arrives

On June 9, 2026, the German firm Vertanical received European marketing authorization (Germany and Austria, with the United Kingdom expected by year end) for Exilby, a standardized full-spectrum Cannabis sativa extract (chemovar DKJ127, known as VER-01 in the clinical literature) for chronic low back pain with a neuropathic component. It is sold under a trademark and is the first full-spectrum cannabis medicine approved as a finished pharmaceutical product. The approval rests on two Phase 3 trials in more than 1,200 patients, including a placebo-controlled trial published in Nature Medicine (September 2025) and a head-to-head trial against opioids published in Pain and Therapy. In the United States, the FDA granted VER-01 Breakthrough Therapy Designation on May 18, 2026, with a pivotal Phase 3 trial underway and a New Drug Application planned for 2028; it would be the first FDA-approved cannabis-derived medicine for pain and only the second cannabis-derived drug overall, after Epidiolex.

Why it matters for enclosure: Vertanical states for the regulatory record that its evidence cannot be extrapolated to other cannabis extracts or to prescribed flower. The entourage effect, now proven at the highest evidentiary level, becomes a private, product-specific finding that the unbranded plant cannot cite. It maps cleanly onto the Schedule III carve-out above: the approved pharmaceutical product gets the comfortable prescribing shelf, insurance reimbursement, and a contemplated import and export lane, while the state-licensed dispensary stays fenced and the intoxicating-hemp economy faces the November 12 restriction. Other programs are following (DeFloria, backed by British American Tobacco, developing a Charlotte's Web derived autism drug; MMJ International, which has also filed a legal challenge to the June 29 rescheduling hearing). The counter-move on the record is a public-domain whole-plant standard, published openly as prior art, the model behind the Open Formulation. Analysis: Del Potter, "The Plant Has a Brand New Name," Against Enclosure, June 17, 2026 (https://delpotterphd.substack.com/p/the-plant-has-a-brand-new-name).

Cannabis and rescheduling

Cannabis ("marihuana") has been a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act since 1970, meaning the federal government formally treats it as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. That default status remains intact for most cannabis in 2026.

The major change came in two steps. In December 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14370, "Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research," directing the Attorney General to complete the rescheduling rulemaking and move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III "in the most expeditious manner" (https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/president-trump-signs-executive-order-directing-ag-to-expedite-marijuana-rescheduling-process/; https://www.ropesgray.com/en/insights/alerts/2026/01/blowing-smoke-white-house-orders-completion-of-marijuana-rescheduling-but-significant-hurdles-remain). This built on the May 2024 DOJ/DEA notice of proposed rulemaking that originally proposed Schedule III (https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11105).

In April 2026, the Justice Department acted, but narrowly. On April 22, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order, effective April 28, 2026, placing only two categories into Schedule III: (1) cannabis contained in an FDA-approved drug product, and (2) cannabis subject to a qualifying state-issued medical license. All other cannabis, including bulk cannabis, unlicensed crops, derivatives not in an FDA-approved product, and all recreational cannabis, remains in Schedule I (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana; https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/28/2026-08176/schedules-of-controlled-substances-rescheduling-of-food-and-drug-administration-approved-products; https://www.foley.com/insights/publications/2026/04/dea-issues-long-awaited-final-order-rescheduling-certain-marijuana-products-to-schedule-iii-what-it-means-what-it-doesnt-and-what-comes-next/).

The DEA convened an expedited administrative hearing on June 29, 2026, to consider whether cannabis more broadly (including recreational) should be moved to Schedule III through formal rulemaking (https://www.gibsondunn.com/dea-downschedules-state-medical-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-expedited-hearing-set-to-consider-broader-rescheduling/; https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/relief_finally_dea_issues_order_expediting_cannabis_rescheduling_schedule_iii_0426.html). Update, July 18, 2026: the hearing closed on July 15, 2026 after seventeen days of testimony; post-hearing briefs are due August 17, 2026, after which the presiding judge issues a recommended decision to the DEA Administrator, with no statutory deadline for a final rule (https://businessofcannabis.com/dea-rescheduling-hearing-closes-as-states-own-witness-concedes-regulation-reduces-crime). Whether the broader effort survives litigation and the post-hearing process is uncertain; observers note final implementation of any broader rule could slip into 2027 (https://www.ainvest.com/news/marijuana-rescheduling-280e-removal-2026-catalyst-cannabis-equity-rating-2601/).

What Schedule III would and would not change: Schedule III would end the 280E tax penalty for the covered categories (see below) and ease research barriers, but it would NOT legalize cannabis federally, would NOT permit interstate commerce, and would NOT by itself make state-legal recreational businesses federally lawful. State medical and adult-use programs would still operate outside the FDA drug-approval framework, and a Schedule III drug normally requires a prescription and FDA approval to be dispensed lawfully, a mismatch with how state dispensaries operate (https://vicentellp.com/insights/cannabis-rescheduling-myths-schedule-iii-280e-banking-reform-fda/; https://www.frierlevitt.com/articles/cannabis-schedule-iii-rescheduling-impact-tax-banking-research/).

Hemp and the 2026 cliff

The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) defined "hemp" as cannabis with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, which legalized hemp and its derivatives federally. That delta-9-only threshold created the so-called loophole that allowed an intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid market (delta-8 THC, THCA flower, hemp-derived delta-9 edibles, and more) to grow into a multibillion-dollar national industry sold largely outside state cannabis regulation (https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13136).

Congress moved to close this in the FY2026 agriculture appropriations process. Section 781 of the Continuing Appropriations / Agriculture appropriations package amends the Agricultural Marketing Act definition of hemp to a total-THC standard (0.3% total THC by dry weight, counting THCA and other THC isomers such as delta-8) and caps finished consumable hemp products at a very low total-THC-per-container limit (reported around 0.4 mg per container). The law was enacted in November 2025 with a delayed effective date of November 12, 2026 (https://www.regulatoryoversight.com/2025/12/congress-narrows-federal-definition-of-hemp-effectively-banning-most-intoxicating-hemp-products/; https://vicentellp.com/insights/2026-federal-hemp-ban-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-consumable-hemp-products/; https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=edb1a1a3-2e23-43f1-a0b6-06556553a38b).

Legislative vehicle and sponsors: The substantive ban rode through appropriations rather than a standalone bill. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, is widely identified as the champion of the FY2026 hemp language; Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) carried near-identical language in the prior (2024) Farm Bill cycle that did not become law (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-committee-approves-federal-hemp-thc-ban-that-stakeholders-say-would-decimate-industry/; https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hemp/news/15747843/us-lawmakers-aim-to-close-hemp-thca-loophole-in-new-budget-proposal). A separate 2026 Farm Bill (reported as H.R.7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, House-passed in April 2026 on a reported 224-200 vote) retained the intoxicating-hemp ban and did not delay it (https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hemp/news/15823852/s-house-passes-2026-farm-bill-intoxicating-hemp-product-ban-remains; https://www.marijuanamoment.net/house-passes-farm-bill-including-hemp-provisions-but-without-delaying-thc-product-ban-scheduled-for-this-year/). Bill numbers and vote totals are as reported by trade press and should be confirmed against Congress.gov before publication.

Effect on the market: Industry analysts estimate the change recriminalizes roughly 90 to 95% of existing hemp-derived cannabinoid products and threatens a market often valued at $28 billion to $30 billion, absent intervening relief legislation. A delay bill exists (reported as H.R.7010, to delay implementation) but had not been enacted as of mid-2026 (https://www.aystrauss.com/creupdate/hemp-derived-thc-due-for-decimation-under-new-federal-amendments/; https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7010; https://www.wilsonelser.com/publications/how-enforceable-is-the-new-federal-ban-on-intoxicating-hemp-products).

Psychedelics

Federal scheduling: Psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine all remain Schedule I controlled substances. None is FDA-approved as of mid-2026 (https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/psychedelic-dissociative-drugs-medicines).

Breakthrough therapy and approval status: The FDA previously granted breakthrough-therapy designations to psilocybin (for treatment-resistant and major depression) and to MDMA (for PTSD); LSD has also received such designation per reporting (https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/psychedelic-assisted-therapy-an-overview-for-nonpsychiatrists). MDMA hit a setback in August 2024 when the FDA declined to approve the lead MDMA-for-PTSD New Drug Application and requested an additional Phase 3 trial (https://psychedelicbeacon.com/blog/psilocybin-fda-approval-tracker). Psilocybin is closer: Compass Pathways has guided to completing a rolling NDA submission in Q4 2026, with durability data expected around Q3 2026; Usona Institute is also advancing psilocybin (https://www.cpr.org/2025/07/20/synthetic-psilocybin-nears-fda-review/; https://psychedelicbeacon.com/blog/psilocybin-fda-approval-tracker).

Federal access expansion: On April 18, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness," directing the FDA to prioritize review of psychedelic therapies and opening a conditional rescheduling pathway after FDA approval. In late April 2026, the FDA issued national priority vouchers to companies developing psilocybin (for treatment-resistant and major depressive disorder) and methylone (an MDMA-adjacent compound for PTSD), signaling a faster review track (https://time.com/article/2026/04/21/trump-psychedelics-executive-order-what-to-know/; https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/health/fda-psychedelic-drugs-priority-vouchers; https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/24/5-questions-fdas-fast-track-push-psychedelic-treatments/).

VA activity: The Department of Veterans Affairs has been increasingly involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy research for PTSD; specific 2026 VA program scope and funding are not fully confirmed in the sources reviewed here (unconfirmed) (https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/psychedelic-dissociative-drugs-medicines).

Banking, taxes, and commerce

SAFE/SAFER Banking: No federal cannabis banking safe harbor has been enacted. The SAFER Banking Act (Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act) cleared the Senate Banking Committee in the 118th Congress but did not become law; in the 119th Congress it stalled. Its prior bipartisan sponsor set included Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Steve Daines (R-MT), and others, but Daines stepped back as the Republican lead (he is not seeking reelection), with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) signaled as a possible Republican lead. After the April 2026 Schedule III order, banking legislation briefly lost momentum; in late June 2026 a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced cannabis banking legislation, which is pending as of mid-July (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/senate-democrats-file-bill-to-fully-legalize-marijuana-under-federal-law-as-trump-moves-to-merely-reclassify-it/) (https://www.merkley.senate.gov/schumer-merkley-daines-sinema-lummis-announce-safer-banking-act/; https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/business-issues-benchmarks/safe-banking-act/news/15825992/safe-banking-act-nowhere-to-be-found-in-wake-of-schedule-iii-cannabis-order). Confirm current 119th Congress SAFER bill number and lead sponsors against Congress.gov (unconfirmed).

280E: Internal Revenue Code Section 280E bars businesses trafficking in Schedule I or II substances from deducting ordinary business expenses, a heavy effective tax on cannabis operators. With the April 2026 order, state-licensed medical cannabis moved to Schedule III, so 280E reportedly no longer applies to that medical category as of April 28, 2026, the date the order took effect; recreational operators and anything remaining in Schedule I are still subject to 280E (https://www.frierlevitt.com/articles/cannabis-schedule-iii-rescheduling-impact-tax-banking-research/; https://ecigator.com/cbd/cannabis-rescheduling-2026-schedule-iii-tax-relief/). The exact mechanics and IRS treatment are still being worked out and may face litigation.

Interstate commerce: Federal law continues to prohibit interstate cannabis commerce. Rescheduling does not change this; states remain walled gardens (https://www.foley.com/insights/publications/2026/04/dea-issues-long-awaited-final-order-rescheduling-certain-marijuana-products-to-schedule-iii-what-it-means-what-it-doesnt-and-what-comes-next/).

Federal legalization / descheduling bills: The MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act) was reintroduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) on August 29, 2025 (reported as H.R.5068) with around 39 original cosponsors; it would remove cannabis from the CSA entirely and add a federal excise tax with expungement provisions (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5068; https://norml.org/blog/2025/08/29/federal-house-lawmakers-reintroduce-legislation-removing-cannabis-from-the-controlled-substances-act/). The States Reform Act, the Republican comprehensive bill historically led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), would deschedule and defer to states; in past Congresses it stalled without a hearing, and its 119th Congress status is not confirmed here (https://mjbizdaily.com/federal-marijuana-reform-states-reform-act-nancy-mace/; unconfirmed for a 2025-2026 reintroduction). Neither comprehensive bill has advanced to passage.

Broader drug policy

2026 National Drug Control Strategy and ONDCP posture: ONDCP released the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, framed as a whole-of-government approach combining prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, and border security, with heavy emphasis on fentanyl, synthetic opioids, methamphetamine, and "increasingly potent" cannabis products. Notably the Strategy text endorses drug test strips as a legitimate tool, which conflicts with the administration's contemporaneous funding decision against them (https://drugfree.org/drug-and-alcohol-news/ondcp-releases-2026-national-drug-control-strategy/; https://www.dfaf.org/the-2026-national-drug-control-strategy-strengthening-prevention-recovery-and-public-safety/; https://www.naco.org/news/ondcp-releases-2026-national-drug-control-strategy).

Harm reduction and SAMHSA funding: On April 24, 2026, SAMHSA issued guidance effectively barring federal funding from being used for harm-reduction supplies including fentanyl test strips, clean syringes, and sterile water for injection, a significant retrenchment. The administration's budget also proposes cutting roughly $220 million from SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and nearly $40 million from the Drug-Free Communities program (https://rainierrehab.org/blog/2026-05-03-samhsa-bans-fentanyl-test-strips-funding; https://www.naco.org/news/samhsa-implements-new-harm-reduction-restrictions-updated-guidance). Naloxone distribution and training remain endorsed.

Fentanyl scheduling and enforcement: The HALT Fentanyl Act was signed into law on July 17, 2025, permanently placing fentanyl-related substances as a class in Schedule I (previously only temporarily controlled since 2018). It passed the Senate 84-16 (March 14, 2025) and the House 321-104 (June 12, 2025) (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/27/all-info; https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11343; https://www.hassan.senate.gov/news/press-releases/signed-into-law-bipartisan-legislation-that-secures-permanent-scheduling-of-fentanyl-analogues).

Sentencing, pardons, and expungement: Federal cannabis expungement and broad pardons are addressed in reform bills like the MORE Act but have not been enacted in 2026. The Biden-era mass pardons for simple federal cannabis possession predate this period; no comparable new federal expungement statute is confirmed for 2026 (unconfirmed for any 2026 federal cannabis pardon action) (https://www.mpp.org/policy/federal/the-more-act/).

Political landscape

Administration posture: The Trump administration backs a narrow, medical-research-framed rescheduling of cannabis (Schedule III, not legalization), an FDA-gated acceleration of psychedelic therapies, permanent hard-line fentanyl scheduling, a crackdown on intoxicating hemp, and a rollback of federal harm-reduction funding. The posture is medicalize-and-control rather than decriminalize (https://time.com/article/2026/04/21/trump-psychedelics-executive-order-what-to-know/; https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana).

Party control: Republicans control both chambers in the 119th Congress (2025-2026). The House is Republican (reported around 220-221 seats, a thin margin) with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA); the Senate is Republican (reported 53 seats) with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/119th_United_States_Congress; https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/house-senate-leadership/).

Key committees: Hemp policy runs through House and Senate Appropriations (Agriculture subcommittees) and the Agriculture committees; Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) chairs the relevant House Ag appropriations subcommittee. Cannabis banking runs through Senate Banking and House Financial Services. Scheduling and descheduling run through the Judiciary committees. Exact 2026 chair names beyond those cited are not all confirmed here (unconfirmed).

Named reform champions: Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) on the MORE Act; Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on banking legislation; Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) on the CAOA (reintroduced July 16, 2026); Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) historically on the States Reform Act. Named opponents / restrictionists: Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) driving the intoxicating-hemp ban; Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) on earlier hemp-ban language. Use "unconfirmed" for any other named champion or opponent not directly sourced above.

Agencies and regulators

DEA: Administers the Controlled Substances Act and scheduling; issued the April 2026 partial Schedule III order and convened the June 29 to July 15, 2026 hearing on broader rescheduling (https://www.gibsondunn.com/dea-downschedules-state-medical-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-expedited-hearing-set-to-consider-broader-rescheduling/). FDA: Drug approval gatekeeper; fast-tracking psychedelics under the April 2026 EO and issuing priority vouchers; its approval is the trigger for the conditional psychedelic rescheduling pathway (https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/health/fda-psychedelic-drugs-priority-vouchers). HHS: Parent of FDA and SAMHSA; provided the scientific scheduling recommendation underlying rescheduling and sets harm-reduction funding posture. SAMHSA: Substance use treatment and prevention funding; issued the April 24, 2026 guidance barring funds for test strips, syringes, and sterile water (https://www.naco.org/news/samhsa-implements-new-harm-reduction-restrictions-updated-guidance). USDA: Administers the federal hemp program and the Agricultural Marketing Act definition now being narrowed (https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13136). ONDCP: Issued the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy setting whole-of-government priorities (https://drugfree.org/drug-and-alcohol-news/ondcp-releases-2026-national-drug-control-strategy/). Treasury / FinCEN: Sets anti-money-laundering expectations for financial institutions serving cannabis businesses; absent SAFER Banking, FinCEN guidance remains the main (weak) cover for banks (https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/business-issues-benchmarks/safe-banking-act/news/15825992/safe-banking-act-nowhere-to-be-found-in-wake-of-schedule-iii-cannabis-order).

Enclosure read

The current federal terms point toward consolidation, not opening. The Schedule III carve-out privileges FDA-approved cannabis drug products and state-licensed medical operators, the actors with the capital and compliance infrastructure to navigate FDA and state-license regimes. Large multistate operators (MSOs) gain the most from 280E relief and from a medicalized framing they can absorb; small operators, legacy and craft growers, and the informal market do not benefit from a research-and-pharma-flavored reform and remain federally illegal. The intoxicating-hemp ban (effective November 12, 2026) fences out a sprawling, decentralized, small-business hemp-cannabinoid sector and pushes that demand back toward state-licensed (often MSO-dominated) cannabis channels. Banks and pharma are positioned to consolidate: if banking access and FDA-approved cannabis and psychedelic medicines arrive on current terms, capital and product approval flow to the largest, best-capitalized incumbents. The risk is that federal medicalization standardizes products, raises compliance costs, and concentrates control in a handful of pharma companies, MSOs, and banks, rather than opening a competitive, decentralized market.

Enclosure pressure score: 4/5. Justification: reform is real but structured to favor large, compliance-heavy incumbents (medical/FDA carve-outs, 280E relief for licensed operators, hemp ban routing demand to licensed cannabis), while small and informal actors are fenced out. It is not a 5 because cannabis is not yet fully federally legalized or vertically captured, state markets remain fragmented, descheduling bills still exist as a more open alternative, and the broader rescheduling outcome is unresolved.

What to watch next

November 12, 2026: Effective date of the narrowed hemp definition; most intoxicating hemp products become federally unlawful unless a delay or fix (for example a measure like H.R.7010) is enacted first. August 17, 2026: Post-hearing briefs due in the DEA broader-rescheduling docket (the hearing closed July 15, 2026); then the recommended decision and the Administrator's action; watch scope and litigation. Rescheduling decision timing: A final broader rule could come late 2026 or slip to 2027; watch DEA/DOJ actions and court challenges. Farm Bill reauthorization: The 2026 Farm Bill (reported H.R.7567) and its hemp language; Senate action and conference outcomes. Appropriations riders: FY2027 appropriations could carry hemp delay, harm-reduction, or cannabis-banking riders; watch the agriculture and financial-services bills. Cannabis banking: Legislation reintroduced in late June 2026; watch for committee action. Psychedelics: Compass Pathways psilocybin NDA progress (durability data ~Q3 2026, rolling submission ~Q4 2026) and any first FDA approval, which would trigger the conditional rescheduling pathway. Election effects: The November 2026 midterms could shift House and Senate margins and committee control, reshaping every item above.

Active federal legislation (2026)

The table below is generated from the live LegiScan feed for the U.S. Congress and refreshes daily, so it reflects current status rather than a snapshot. Primary sources: Congress.gov for bill text, sponsors and vote records, and LegiScan for tracking. Measures that are not bills, and proposals the tracker does not carry, are listed directly above the table.

Beyond the live tracker

These measures are not in the live bill list below: some are not bills (executive orders, agency rules, appropriations riders), and some are proposals or measures the live tracker does not currently carry.

EO 14370 (Dec 18, 2025) Increasing Medical Marijuana and CBD Research; directs the Attorney General to expedite Schedule III rescheduling. Executive order, signed.
DOJ/DEA rescheduling order (Apr 2026) Reschedules FDA-approved cannabis drugs and state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III. 91 FR 22714, signed April 22, 2026, effective April 28, 2026. Broader-rescheduling hearing held June 29 to July 15, 2026; post-hearing briefs due Aug 17, 2026.
FY2026 Ag Appropriations, Sec. 781 Narrows the hemp definition to a total-THC standard and bans most intoxicating hemp. Enacted Nov 2025; effective Nov 12, 2026. Appropriations rider, not a standalone bill.
H.R.7567 Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026; retains the hemp ban. House-passed (reported 224-200), Apr 2026. Outside the tracker's drug-policy scope.
H.R.7010 Would delay implementation of the FY2026 hemp amendments. Introduced; not enacted. Outside the tracker's drug-policy scope.
States Reform Act Deschedule and defer to states (GOP comprehensive bill). 2025-2026 reintroduction status unconfirmed.
SAFER Banking Act Cannabis banking safe harbor; stalled in the 119th Congress. The separate SAFE Banking Act of 2026 does appear in the live table below.
EO (Apr 18, 2026) Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness; directs FDA fast-track pathways for psychedelics. Executive order, signed.
FDA priority vouchers (Apr 2026) Psilocybin and methylone granted fast-track review. Agency action, not legislation.
SAMHSA guidance (Apr 24, 2026) Bars federal funds for test strips, syringes and sterile water. Agency guidance, in effect.

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A planning snapshot for 2026, not legal advice. Policy moves quickly; confirm any single detail against the cited sources before acting on it. Sponsor names are given where confirmable and marked unconfirmed otherwise.

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