Tribal Group Says Rescheduling Plan Left Native Nations Out

A leading American Indian advocacy organization is pushing back on the federal plan to reschedule marijuana, arguing that tribal governments were left out of the conversation. The National Congress of American Indians says the Trump administration failed to engage in the consultation with tribes that federal law requires when agencies craft policies affecting them.

Because of that gap, the group is asking for one of two fixes: rewrite the rescheduling policy, or put a new, supplemental policy in place. The goal is to make sure tribally regulated cannabis is accounted for in the federal framework instead of being treated as an afterthought. Many tribes operate their own cannabis programs under their own governing authority, so a change in marijuana's federal status could affect them in ways that differ from how it affects state-licensed businesses.

Consultation is a recognized part of the relationship between the federal government and tribal nations. When an agency moves ahead with a significant policy change without it, tribes can argue that the process was incomplete. That is the core of the complaint here. The organization isn't necessarily opposing reform itself. Instead, it's saying that any final approach should reflect input from the sovereign governments that will live with the consequences.

The objection arrives while the broader rescheduling effort is already facing scrutiny from other directions, including opponents who are challenging the process in a formal hearing. Adding a tribal consultation argument gives the administration another issue to address if it wants the policy to withstand criticism. For consumers and operators in Indian Country, the outcome could determine whether tribal programs are explicitly recognized or left in a gray area as federal marijuana policy evolves.