New Patient Advocacy Group Launches Amid Trump Rescheduling Review

A new cannabis patient advocacy organization is positioning itself to influence federal policy as the Trump administration moves forward with its review of marijuana's Schedule III reclassification.

The National Compassionate Care Council, led by executive director Sasha Kalcheff-Korn, launched this week with a mission to ground cannabis policy in scientific evidence and actual patient outcomes rather than outdated assumptions. "Federal policy must reflect evidence and science, not dispelled myths and tired stereotypes," Kalcheff-Korn wrote in an op-ed announcing the group's formation.

The timing is deliberate. Trump's administration has signaled interest in both advancing the rescheduling process initiated under Biden and expanding federal cannabinoid research—creating what advocates see as a critical window for patient-centered policy input.

The Policy Landscape

The DEA's proposed move to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III remains under review, with the Trump administration inheriting a process that began in 2022. Schedule III classification would acknowledge cannabis has accepted medical use while maintaining federal control—a compromise that satisfies neither legalization advocates nor prohibitionists.

But the rescheduling debate has largely excluded the voices of patients who use cannabis for chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, and other conditions. The National Compassionate Care Council aims to fill that gap by connecting policymakers with documented patient experiences and peer-reviewed research.

"We've seen decades of policy driven by fear and misinformation," Kalcheff-Korn said. "It's time federal agencies heard from the millions of Americans who rely on cannabis as medicine."

Research Expansion on the Table

The Trump administration has also indicated openness to expanding federal cannabis research—a move that could accelerate the evidence base the new council hopes to leverage. Current restrictions on cannabis research have created a catch-22: policymakers demand more evidence while federal barriers make obtaining that evidence nearly impossible.

The council plans to advocate for streamlined research pathways and increased NIH funding for cannabinoid studies. They're particularly focused on conditions where anecdotal patient reports far outpace clinical trial data, including pediatric epilepsy and cancer-related symptoms.

What's Next

The National Compassionate Care Council will begin by compiling patient testimony and coordinating with medical researchers to present unified policy recommendations. Their first target: submitting formal comments during the public input period for any rescheduling rule changes.

Kalcheff-Korn declined to specify the group's funding sources but said it operates independently of cannabis industry interests. "This is about patients, not profits," she emphasized.

As the rescheduling review advances—potentially reaching a final decision in 2025—patient advocacy groups face their best opportunity in decades to shape federal cannabis policy. Whether the Trump administration proves receptive to evidence-based arguments remains an open question.

This article is based on original reporting by www.marijuanamoment.net.