Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Public Health and Research Reforms in Controlled Substances Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill updates the Controlled Substances Act to better fit modern medical knowledge and changes how drugs are scheduled and regulated. It creates a new scheduling system that balances public health risks with therapeutic value, relying on scientific evaluations and expert committees. The legislation formally removes marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols from the federal drug schedules, making that change retroactive. It also reassigns certain regulatory and registration authorities over scientific researchers from the Attorney General to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Additionally, the bill revises penalties for various drug offenses and establishes a rapid response fund for emerging drug threats.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +5
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?
The bill provides resentencing opportunities and allows for reduced sentences for individuals impacted by changes in drug offense penalties.
- Scored +4
Does this put more money into medical research?
The bill streamlines research registrations and establishes expedited procedures for scientific investigators studying scheduled substances.
- Scored +4
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?
The bill establishes an emerging drug threat rapid response fund and refines federal monitoring systems for emerging drug threats.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Removal of Marijuana from Schedules: Section 104 removes marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols entirely from the federal drug schedules retroactively. This could benefit individuals with past convictions by allowing for sentence reductions or clearing certain legal burdens related to marijuana offenses.
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Streamlined Research Registrations: Section 108 establishes expedited procedures for scientific investigators to obtain research registrations through the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This makes it easier for researchers to study scheduled substances and conduct pilot studies without excessive bureaucratic delay.
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Resentencing Opportunities: Section 502 allows individuals serving sentences for offenses where penalties have been reduced by the bill to move for a reduced sentence. Furthermore, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons is required to produce a list of eligible individuals, notify them, and file motions for sentence reductions on their behalf.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Fines for Certain Prohibited Acts: Section 114 significantly increases maximum monetary fines for individuals and entities convicted of certain drug trafficking offenses under section 401 of the Controlled Substances Act, such as raising individual fines up to $5,000,000 or $10,000,000 depending on the offense.
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Continued Federal Workplace Testing for Marijuana: Section 404 explicitly states that the Secretary of Health and Human Services may continue including marijuana in drug testing for federal employees, despite its descheduling under Title IV. This means federal workers can still face employment consequences for marijuana use.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Black Americans disproportionately affected by past marijuana convictions benefit from retroactive descheduling and resentencing provisions. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income individuals historically affected disproportionately by drug enforcement benefit from sentence reductions and record clearing. Would students be better off under this? — Students and academic researchers gain significantly streamlined registration and approval processes to study controlled substances. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults benefit from retroactive marijuana descheduling and reduced legal penalties associated with certain minor drug offenses. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Hispanic Americans benefit from broader criminal sentencing reforms and reduced penalties for certain drug offenses. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Immigrants benefit from reforms to harsh mandatory minimum sentences and retroactive relief for past low-level drug offenses.
- Healthcare
- Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — The bill establishes an emerging drug threat rapid response fund and refines federal monitoring systems for emerging drug threats. Does this put more money into medical research? — The bill streamlines research registrations and establishes expedited procedures for scientific investigators studying scheduled substances. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill updates the scheduling system for controlled substances to better balance public health risks with therapeutic value.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — The bill provides resentencing opportunities and allows for reduced sentences for individuals impacted by changes in drug offense penalties. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Retroactively removing marijuana from federal drug schedules helps clear legal burdens and criminal records for past offenses.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates public dashboards and transparent multi-criteria decision analysis processes for drug scheduling evaluations. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill establishes centralized federal systems for classifying drug threats and coordinating agency responses.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The legislation removes bureaucratic hurdles and sets up expedited approval processes for scientific researchers studying scheduled substances.
- 10/29/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House