Kansas Law Remains Unaffected by Trump’s Marijuana Reclassification
Despite President Donald Trump’s executive order to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, the move will not automatically change the drug’s status in Kansas. According to Ed Klumpp, a lobbyist for the Kansas Peace Officers Association, the state’s laws must be updated to reflect the change.
Trump’s order, which was recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2023, acknowledges that marijuana has medical use and a lower potential for abuse than previously thought. However, the change does not take immediate effect on the federal level, and Kansas law remains unchanged.
“Marijuana is still under Schedule I in Kansas, and if this change is made, then a bill would need to be passed to move it to Schedule III on the state level,” said Klumpp, a retired Topeka police chief.
If the drug is reclassified to a Schedule III, it could be prescribed through pharmacies for medicinal use. However, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation warned that the rescheduling of marijuana does not mean it is legal, and that the drug remains a controlled substance.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation also expressed concerns about the potential risks of marijuana use, particularly for children and teens. The agency believes that rescheduling the drug will allow for more research on its impact on mental health.
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, was one of 24 Republicans who signed a letter urging Trump not to change marijuana’s classification. The letter argued that the move would undermine efforts to make America great again and would benefit foreign countries, such as China, at the expense of American taxpayers.
