Rescheduling would not only open the door for research and medical access, it would also give legitimate companies like mine the chance to compete fairly, create jobs and contribute to local economies without being penalized for operating in the open.
This reform is smart, strategic and long overdue. Schedule III would take the shackles off legal cannabis businesses, making it easier for them to bank, hire and grow. It would open the door for medical research, so we can learn more about how cannabis can help conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and sickle cell anemia – illnesses that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities. It would deliver real economic opportunity to entrepreneurs who have been shut out for too long.
Opponents claim that rescheduling is a backdoor to legalization or that it will unleash public health crises. This simply isn’t true. Rescheduling to Schedule III doesn’t legalize adult use nationwide – it just brings cannabis policy in line with science, allowing doctors to prescribe, researchers to study and businesses to operate without being punished under outdated federal rules.
Critics also argue cannabis is dangerous, but the data tells a different story: States with legal cannabis have seen drops in opioid overdoses, fewer arrests for minor possession and billions of dollars in tax revenue that fund schools, health care and public safety.
Far from creating chaos, rescheduling is a measured, responsible reform that makes communities healthier and safer.
Cannabis helped manage pain from my NFL career
My journey with cannabis isn’t just theory; it’s deeply personal. As a former professional athlete, I faced chronic pain and mental health struggles that traditional medicine often didn't fully address. Cannabis became my ally in regaining control over my body and mind. It helped me manage persistent injuries, reduce reliance on opioids and find clarity in my daily life.
My experience has shown me firsthand that cannabis isn’t about getting high – it's about healing. This personal struggle fuels my passion for reform, because I believe everyone deserves access to safe, effective treatment that can truly make a difference.
And yes, it would make our country safer – because I believe rescheduling is one of the most effective tools we have to fight the illicit market that is thriving under the current system.
Right now, Chinese criminal groups are laundering drug money for Mexican cartels on an unprecedented scale. By 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered that the same Chinese money brokers involved in fentanyl trafficking had expanded into illicit cannabis. They are growing, transporting and selling illegal marijuana across the United States.
This isn’t a loose network of small-time operators; it’s a powerful hybrid criminal enterprise. Experts now describe the cartel-Chinese alliance as a “super cartel” operating largely within our borders.
Reclassifying marijuana is a step toward justice
Here’s the reality: One way to fight the illicit cannabis market is to strengthen the legal one. When consumers have safe, tested, affordable cannabis from licensed businesses, they have another choice than street dealers or black-market suppliers. And when those legal businesses can compete on a level playing field – without being punished by outdated federal tax rules – they can help drive criminal actors out of the market.
Rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III aligns perfectly with President Trump’s promise to work to protect our borders, cut taxes and put Americans back to work. It strengthens the economy, can weaken the cartels and keeps the benefits of this industry in American hands – not in the pockets of foreign criminal networks.
The president said he hopes the decision made “will be the right one.”
We’ve waited long enough. Patients have waited long enough. Business owners have waited long enough. Every day we delay, people are criminalized for using a plant that can help them live better lives and criminal organizations grow richer and more powerful.
Mr. President, this is your opportunity to show leadership – not just to the people who already support cannabis reform, but to the millions of Americans who want smart, commonsense policy that puts people over politics.
Rescheduling cannabis is more than a policy change. It’s a step toward justice. It’s a chance to strengthen our economy, support our veterans and give families access to medicine that works. It’s a move that says we’re ready to leave outdated drug laws in the past and focus on building a future where healing and opportunity are within reach for everyone.
The ball is in your hands, Mr. President. It’s time to run with it.
Ricky Williams, former NFL running back and 1998 Heisman Trophy winner, is a longtime medical cannabis advocate and cofounder of Project Champion, dedicated to elevating the legitimacy of cannabis as medicine.
by USA Today
