Back in April, the DEA made headlines when it agreed to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III—a long-overdue acknowledgment that this plant has medical value. For a moment, it felt like momentum. But since then? Nothing.
Why? Because it’s all still tied up in the slow grind of federal rulemaking. Before anything becomes law, the proposed change has to go through a public comment period, potential hearings, and layers of bureaucratic red tape. Until that process plays out, cannabis remains—at least on paper—in the same category as heroin.
If approved, Schedule III would mark a real shift. It would open the door for expanded research. It would allow cannabis businesses to take basic tax deductions under IRS code 280E. And it would force the federal government to admit what patients in Utah already know—this is legitimate medicine.
So why the stall? Politics. Pressure from anti-cannabis groups. And hesitation from lawmakers who still see cannabis through a 1980s lens. Progress is coming, but it’s being dragged.
Nothing changes until the rule becomes final. The public comment window is expected to open soon, and when it does, Utah patients and providers need to show up. Your voice matters here.
Schedule III isn’t the finish line. It’s not legalization. It won’t fix every broken policy. But it’s a crack in the wall—and sometimes, a crack is all you need to start bringing the whole thing down.
That said, the Salt Baked City staff is still holding out hope for full decriminalization. That’s the smarter, more honest route—especially in the eyes of everyday cannabis users. Rescheduling might ease the burden for businesses, but real change means putting the plant back in the hands of the people—not locking it behind corporate paywalls and pharmaceutical patents.
