Then (1985), The Emperor Wears No Clothes
Cannabis Rescheduling: 2024-2026 Status
Cannabis's Schedule I status, alongside heroin, is based on fabricated evidence and corporate lobbying rather than pharmacological science. Herer argued that rescheduling was legally and scientifically overdue from the moment of initial scheduling.
contested
In May 2024, the DOJ published a proposed rule to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. In December 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to expedite the rescheduling. As of June 2026, final rescheduling has not been completed, but the proposed move to Schedule III is the most significant federal cannabis policy change since 1970. 38 US states have legalized medical cannabis; 24 have legalized recreational use. The WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence recommended in 2019 that cannabis be rescheduled internationally. Herer's core claim, that the scheduling was scientifically unjustified, is now the federal government's own position.
Sources
- Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes (1985)
- DOJ NPRM, Cannabis Rescheduling (May 2024)
- Trump Executive Order, December 2025