Up in Smoke:  US DOJ Reclassifies Marijuana

By Alex Miller

On Background:  On 23 April 2026, the US Department of Justice took a long-anticipated action to lessen restrictions on marijuana use, when it moved to reclassify the drug from a Schedule I substance – reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse – to the less strictly regulated Schedule III, defined as drugs having a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.

Forty US states already have legalized medical marijuana, with 24 of those also decriminalizing recreational use, and while the new federal classification doesn’t make the drug lawful, it does smooth the path for eventual legalization nationwide.

The Lede:  The decision to take action now is related to the current celestial traffic jam in early Aries, where the conjunction between Neptune (3 Aries) and Saturn (8 Aries), now beginning to diverge, has been joined by Mars (10 Aries) and Mercury (12 Aries).  In and of itself, Neptune with Saturn carries a potential for an erosion (Neptune) of restrictions (Saturn) on the legal status (Saturn) of drugs and pharmaceuticals (Neptune), opening the door to reform of marijuana laws.

In Brief:  With Mercury and Mars joining the party, the timing was right to finally take action (Mars) on a decision (Mercury) that had been mooted for years.  A square (90 degrees) to Jupiter (17 Cancer) ensured the change would be positive, providing more access, and lessening controls.  The conjunction of Venus and Uranus (both 29 Taurus) which occurred the same day speaks to a potentially controversial (Uranus) shift in marijuana use for entertainment value (Venus), as a recreational drug.

Deep Dive:  The Aries grouping is squared by asteroid Herba (11 Capricorn), relating to “herb” as a marijuana euphemism, and forming a T-Square (1) by opposition (180 degrees) with Jupiter.  Certainly the change will increase (Jupiter) marijuana use (Herba) over time.  A major shift in DOJ policy on marijuana is signaled by asteroid Themis (15 Sagittarius), named for the Greek goddess of justice, which is at station (2), making it a powerful focal point of the period (which also witnessed the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2^nd, a momentous shift in leadership at the Justice Department).  Themis’ opposition to asteroid Grass (11 Gemini), a once popular euphemism for marijuana, underscores which drug is being reclassified. 

The Sun (3 Taurus) squared asteroid Whitehouse (1 Aquarius) places a spotlight on the administration (Whitehouse) generally, while a sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to asteroid Panacea (23 Virgo), named for the Greek goddess of medicines, spreads the limelight to the topic of drugs (Panacea).  Whitehouse also conjoins Pluto (5 Aquarius), ruling criminality, illustrating the administration’s gradual drawdown of legal consequences for marijuana use.

Notes:  (1) Stations are periods when, from our perspective on Earth, a planet appears to slow its movement, come to a standstill, and reverse course.  This is an optical illusion created by the triangulation between the sun, Earth, and any third celestial body; astrologically, it represents a focusing of the energies associated with that point, and often coincides with major life events or a radical recalibration of how that point has functioned previously.

(2) A T-Square is a dynamic pattern composed of two or more planets in opposition (180 degrees), each squared (90 degrees) a third.  It represents stress and conflict, with the fulcrum point (at the square) offering a possibility of resolution.

Sources:  reporting from AP, ABC News; chart data from serennu.com

Title Image Credit:  drawn by ChatGPT