FDA Head Says Marijuana Has ‘Benefit In Medical Conditions,’ But Trump Administration Also Concerned About ‘Side Effects’

February 12, 2026

Federal marijuana rescheduling is no longer a thought experiment—it’s a live wire humming through Washington’s walls. In a brisk Fox Business hit, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary sketched the uneasy truce forming between public health caution and medical cannabis access. On one hand, there’s the drumbeat of concern about youth THC use. On the other, the administration’s push to move cannabis to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act—an unmistakable signal that medical benefit exists. It’s the cannabis policy reform story of the moment: messy, high stakes, and deeply human.

Makary’s message landed with a thud familiar to anyone who’s walked the line between liberty and liability. The science on adolescent exposure is sobering. He pointed to a sharp rise in teen vaping with THC in the years before he took office. Today’s products aren’t your uncle’s skunky stash; they’re surgically potent, often far stronger than the “hippie weed” of lore. That matters for a developing brain. He flagged links to later-life psychosis, the gut-churning misery of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, and the quieter damage—fatigue, learning hurdles, fuzzy judgment—that doesn’t trend on social but decides GPAs and futures. Yet the same interview underscored a different imperative: protecting access for patients with serious conditions, from chronic pain to end-of-life care, where cannabis can make days livable and nights merciful.

That’s why the federal marijuana rescheduling push matters. The administration ordered the Justice Department to fast-track a shift to Schedule III—partly to acknowledge medical use, partly to unjam the gears of research long clogged by Schedule I red tape. But the machinery of government grinds at its own tempo. An appeal over the proposed move is still pending. Analysts say DOJ has room to delay by refreshing the scientific review, and the attorney general recently blew a statutory deadline to issue rules that would have eased research barriers on Schedule I drugs like cannabis and certain psychedelics. In other words: the policy is promised, but the path is still gravel. Here’s the view from 30,000 feet:

Public health signal: elevated concerns about youth THC exposure, potency, and mental health risks.
Access signal: a federal bid to recognize medical value via Schedule III—particularly for patients with severe or terminal illnesses.
Process reality: pending appeals, potential restarts of the scientific review, and missed research-rule deadlines muddy the timeline.

While the feds tussle, the states keep doing what the states do—writing their own epilogues. In Virginia, lawmakers advanced civil liberties with Virginia House Passes Bill To Protect Rights Of Parents Who Use Marijuana, a nod to the idea that responsible adult use shouldn’t be a parental scarlet letter. Florida took a pragmatic swing at patient access and costs with Florida Senators Approve Bill To Increase Medical Marijuana Supply Limits And Slash Patient Fees For Veterans. Out West, Oregon is eyeing potency guardrails with Oregon Lawmakers Consider Banning Marijuana Edibles With More Than 10 Milligrams Of THC, a direct answer to the “today’s weed is stronger” reality. And in a humane stroke that feels long overdue, Washington lawmakers voted to meet patients where they are—quite literally—with Washington House Passes Bill To Let Terminally Ill Patients Use Medical Cannabis In Hospitals. This is the American cannabis market today: a patchwork quilt of compassion, caution, and compromise.

Zoom back to the federal picture and the contradictions get louder. Makary has warned about intoxicating hemp cannabinoids like delta-8 THC and flagged cardiac and psychiatric risks linked to high-potency use. Fair. We should regulate products, test them, label them clearly, and keep them out of kids’ hands. But don’t lose the plot: hospitals are asking for flexibility to treat suffering patients; veterans are asking for relief; families are asking for sanity in custody courts. Federal marijuana rescheduling won’t solve all of it. It can, however, move us from culture war to clinical trial, from stigma to standards—a road where evidence has the wheel. In the meantime, choose smart over loud, facts over fear, and, when you’re ready to explore the legal frontier of hemp’s raw potential, consider a measured, compliant path through our curated selection at our shop.