The Biden administration is moving to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug, which would remove the plant from the “most dangerous” list and recognize that it has medical uses.
The Biden administration is working towards reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug. If this is successful, cannabis will no longer be considered as one of the “most dangerous” drugs, and its medical benefits will be recognized.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Portland attorney Amy Margolis sees the move as a way to get much-needed research on cannabis, but it could also pave the way for big pharmaceutical companies to get involved in the established industry in Oregon.
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Amy Margolis is a Portland attorney specializing in cannabis law and policy.
Courtesy Amy Margolis
“They’re the ones who will be legally operating if they follow the final rules produced by the FDA and the standard FDA approval and sales process for pharmaceuticals,” Margolis says. “It certainly injects a concern that now we have real big pharmaceutical interests involved in the cannabis market.”
Margolis runs Margolis Legal, a Portland law firm that works with clients in the cannabis industry. She says this proposal doesn’t do what many in the industry have been advocating for; removal of cannabis from the schedule of illegal drugs entirely.
“I think it’s a remnant of the drug war, ” she says. “I think it’s kind of outdated perspectives on cannabis being a hard drug.”
Margolis spoke with OPB “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross:
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Geoff Norcross: Basically speaking, the Biden administration is saying they want to officially recognize that cannabis is not as dangerous as the most dangerous drugs. Isn’t that a good thing?
Amy Margolis: Theoretically, that’s a good thing. We’ve long known that cannabis is not dangerous, should be treated like alcohol, which this does not do. But in theory, yes, that’s a good thing. How it impacts the market? We’re not so sure.
Norcross: Okay, what could happen?
Margolis: So what this did is it sent over the reclassification recommendation to the FDA to essentially rule make around it. And from my perspective, and I think the perspective of many of my peers, this simply opened up a pathway for pharmaceutical companies to get involved in the cannabis industry, whether through the development and sales of pharmaceutical cannabis or through the research component.
Norcross: And what would that mean for the local market, which doesn’t have a lot of big players like the pharmaceutical industry in it?
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Margolis: Other than the DOJ, there was not too much outside interests who might care if prosecutions were happening, who might care if statewide industry is developing. I think the risk for Oregon — and this is sort of a worst-case scenario — is that pharmaceutical companies can now get involved. They’re the ones who will be legally operating if they follow the final rules produced by the FDA and the standard FDA approval and sales process for pharmaceuticals. Now you have a player beyond just the Department of Justice who could have some interest in owning that market. It certainly injects a concern that now we have real big pharmaceutical interests involved in the cannabis market. And they’re the only ones who can lawfully operate.
Norcross: One of the big problems for the cannabis industry here has been the lack of banking services or tax breaks that other businesses get. Would this move by the federal government this week change any of that?
Margolis: I think it remains to be seen. You know, the banking industry will look at this, federal regulators will look at this, and try and decide if this clears up the legality around the state licensed recreational and medical markets. And I do not believe this move by the Biden administration does that. I don’t believe it legalizes on a federal level what is currently happening in this state. And that is, aside from federal legislation, the path forward to safe banking.
Norcross: You touched on this a little bit earlier, that what the federal government could have done was to treat cannabis like it’s alcohol, and let an entirely different federal agency, the ATF, oversee its use and the regulations around it. I’m wondering if the Biden administration may have missed an opportunity to go all the way and just take it off the schedule of drugs entirely.
Margolis: I think “missed an opportunity” is how the industry will view it. I mean, the industry in Oregon and across the country has been advocating for cannabis to be declassified and not reclassified. And I think the Biden administration knows that and instead chose to go this direction. I think it’s a remnant of the drug war and I think it’s kind of outdated perspectives on cannabis being a hard drug. We’ll see if this is maybe the first step, but I’m concerned that, for the federal government, first steps can last a long time.
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Norcross: Do you see any upside for the industry here in Oregon, if cannabis is reclassified in this way?
Margolis: I do think the upside is, you know, we have in the industry been talking about research and cannabis for a long time. And this does open the door to that, which I think will be a positive, even if it’s only a financial benefit to those in the pharmaceutical industry.
Click on the audio player above to hear the whole conversation.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
