HR 1524: General Assembly; reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance in accordance with presidential Executive Order 14370; urge

House Resolution 1524

By: Representatives Bell of the 75th, Jackson of the 68th, Holly of the 116th, Frye of the 122nd, and Park of the 107th

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Georgia General Assembly to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance in accordance with presidential Executive Order 14370; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, in 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed a review of the landscape of medical use of marijuana and found scientific support for its use to treat anorexia related to a medical condition, nausea and vomiting, and pain; and

WHEREAS, Chronic pain affects nearly one and four adults and more than one in three seniors in the United States, and six in ten people who use medical marijuana report doing so to manage pain; and

WHEREAS, approximately 40 states including the District of Columbia have state or locally sanctioned, regulated medical marijuana programs; and

WHEREAS, marijuana is currently controlled under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency that marijuana be controlled under Schedule III of the CSA; and

WHEREAS, Schedule I drugs are classified as drugs with no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision; and

WHEREAS, Schedule III drugs are classified as drugs with less potential for abuse than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II, having a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a potential for moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence in the event of drug abuse; and

WHEREAS, the recommendation from HHS included a determination that medical marijuana has a currently accepted medical use. Such determination was based in part on a finding by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health that more than 30,000 licensed healthcare practitioners across 43 United States jurisdictions are authorized to recommend the medical use of marijuana for more than six million registered patients to treat at least 15 medical conditions; and

WHEREAS, findings by the FDA support the use of marijuana in the treatment of pain, anorexia related to certain medical conditions, and nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse concurred with the FDA's recommendation that marijuana be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA; and

WHEREAS, in May 2024, the Department of Justice issued a proposed rule to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III. The proposed rule received nearly 43,000 public comments and is currently awaiting an administrative law hearing; and

WHEREAS, with the presidential executive order on December 18, 2025, regarding "Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research" directed that the United States Attorney General shall take all appropriate actions to complete the rule-making process related to rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the CSA in the most expeditious manner in accordance with federal law, including 21 U.S.C. Section 811; and

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives is committed to increasing medical marijuana and cannabidiol research to better inform patients and doctors for the United States and the State of Georgia.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge the Georgia General Assembly to expeditiously reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance and take any and all necessary steps to increase medical marijuana and cannabidiol research to better inform patients and doctors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Georgia General Assembly.