An influential anti-marijuana organization has turned to a familiar Washington heavyweight in its latest effort to stop the federal government from reclassifying cannabis. The group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), has hired former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr to prepare a legal challenge aimed at blocking the administration’s move to loosen marijuana’s status under federal law.
The challenge targets a presidential directive instructing the Department of Justice to complete a long-anticipated rescheduling process that would move cannabis out of the most restrictive category of the Controlled Substances Act. While the change would not legalize marijuana nationwide, it would formally recognize medical use, ease research restrictions, and allow state-legal cannabis businesses to claim standard federal tax deductions.
SAM argues the shift represents a dangerous concession to the cannabis industry. Its leadership claims rescheduling prioritizes commercial interests over public health and could accelerate normalization of marijuana use. Barr’s involvement signals the group is prepared to press its case aggressively once the final rule is issued.
No lawsuit has been filed yet, as the rescheduling action is still pending. But SAM has made clear it intends to move quickly, combining courtroom challenges with administrative petitions to keep cannabis tightly regulated.
The episode underscores the growing tension in U.S. drug policy: as federal agencies inch toward reform, long-standing opponents are mobilizing seasoned legal firepower to slow—or stop—the momentum altogether.
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