Trump Reclassifies Cannabis, But No Relief for Inmates

0:00It's April 24th. Welcome in. This is Canada News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. The Trump administration just reclassified state licensed medical marijuana, moving it from schedule 1 to the less restrictive schedule 3. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the executive order on Thursday, pulling cannabis away from drugs like heroin and recognizing some medical. Value. This opens doors for researchers and licensed growers with tax breaks and easier business rules. But here's the catch. It doesn't touch penalties for possession, sales, or the thousand serving federal sentences for cannabis crimes. No decriminalization, no relief for those locked up on trafficking charges, or stuck with life terms. Large-scale cases still carry the same heavy weight. Families of inmates feel the staying hardest, with many people of color hit by racial disparities in arrests and convictions. Black Americans face arrests 3.7 to 4 times higher than whites, despite similar use rates.

1:02Meanwhile, the perks mostly boost white-owned cannabis businesses widening gaps in the industry. Advocates say this is a small win, but the real fight needs Congress for expungements, fair sentencing, and full reform. Groups like the last prisoner project are pushing lawmakers, including the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, and hoping for clemency or state level. Changes tied to federal shifts. As states review their own rules, pressure builds for broader justice, freeing the incarcerated, clearing records, and treating weed more like alcohol. The momentum's building, but real change demands action beyond this order.