Controlled Substances Act Clarification in Sciences Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced
Summary
Science-based scheduling refocuses drug classification so decisions follow modern medical and scientific evaluations and explicitly weigh public health, medical access, and societal benefits. It also updates core terms like accepted medical use, dependence, abuse, misuse, and lack of accepted safety to reflect contemporary medical practice.
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- Patients and health care practitioners: Clarifies when a drug counts as an accepted medical use by tying it to FDA approval, Public Health Service licensure, or recognized medical practice in other jurisdictions, which helps define legal medical access.
- Researchers and the scientific community: Treats legitimate scientific research as an accepted medical use and elevates the Secretary's scientific and medical evaluation as the primary basis for scheduling decisions.
- Law enforcement and regulators: Directs the Attorney General to align scheduling choices with the Secretary's medical findings and to choose schedules that match controls to health risks while preserving access and recognizing societal benefits.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Drug scheduling guided by science
If enacted, this would change how the government decides drug schedules. The Attorney General would need to defer to the Secretary’s scientific and medical evaluation when placing or moving drugs in schedules. Agencies would have to choose schedules that protect public health and safety while preserving access for accepted medical uses. The bill would also add clear definitions for accepted medical use, dependence (physical and psychological), abuse, misuse, lack of safety under medical supervision, and potential societal benefits, and it would treat research use and recognized jurisdictional medical use as possible accepted medical uses.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
TN • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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