Midterms, Mid-Rescheduling: What's Next for Medical Cannabis?

Posted by on November 06, 2026

As a new Congress prepares to take office and federal cannabis policy continues to evolve, patients have an opportunity to shape what comes next. Watch ASA's post-election briefing and take the Medical Cannabis Action Pledge to help protect patient rights during the lame-duck session and advance safe access in 2027.

The 2026 midterm elections will bring new leadership to Congress and statehouses at a pivotal moment for medical cannabis policy. Democrats have won control of both chambers of Congress, while the federal government has begun issuing DEA registrations to state medical cannabis dispensaries. These developments create opportunities to advance patient protections, but they also raise urgent questions about how federal and state laws will work together.

At Americans for Safe Access (ASA), we've spent nearly 25 years fighting to establish and protect medical cannabis programs. We've learned that changing the law is only the first step. Making sure those laws work for patients requires education, oversight, and sometimes a fight to get government agencies and institutions to follow them.

In our post-election briefing, Midterms, Mid-Rescheduling: What's Next for Medical Cannabis?, we examine the election results, the ongoing federal rescheduling process, DEA registrations, and the decisions ahead for Congress and state governments.

[WATCH THE FULL VIDEO]

What's Next for Medical Cannabis?

Congress must protect the progress already made. Before the 119th Congress adjourns, lawmakers must preserve federal medical cannabis protections, remove provisions that could undermine rescheduling or expose state medical cannabis programs to enforcement, and address outdated federal policies that continue to discriminate against patients. The incoming 120th Congress will have an opportunity to build on federal recognition of medical cannabis by advancing a comprehensive national framework through the Medical Cannabis & Cannabinoid Act.

States must prepare for federal implementation. The DEA registration process has exposed gaps in state licensing systems, particularly where medical and adult-use cannabis operate under combined licenses. States need to protect medical supply chains, preserve patient access, address changes to hemp laws, and prepare for federal enforcement. This November, ASA will convene stakeholder discussions to help shape our December report on 2027 state legislative priorities and preparing for a national medical cannabis program.

Patients must begin asserting their rights. Federal recognition of qualifying medical cannabis activity provides a new foundation for challenging discriminatory policies, but protections are not automatic or unlimited. Patients should ensure their state registration is current, understand how the new federal framework applies to them, and document discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and other settings. ASA has developed resources to help medical cannabis patients assert their new federal rights.

The Future of Medical Cannabis Depends on What We Do Next

We have reached a turning point that medical cannabis patients and advocates have worked toward for decades. But the future of medical cannabis will not be decided by the DEA alone. Congress, state lawmakers, healthcare institutions, and the people who speak up will shape it to ensure patient needs are not forgotten.

We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while these decisions are being made. Important work remains during the remaining weeks of the 119th Congress, and even more ahead as newly elected officials take office and state legislatures begin their 2027 sessions.

Take the Medical Cannabis Action Pledge and commit to taking action with Americans for Safe Access during the lame-duck session and throughout 2027. Whether it's contacting elected officials, responding to action alerts, educating your community, or helping amplify patient voices, your participation can help turn federal recognition into meaningful patient protections.

We've spent decades fighting to have cannabis recognized as medicine. Now it's time to make sure that recognition translates into safe access for everyone who needs it.