Health policy roundup: DOJ loosens restrictions on medical marijuana

Summary: Big changes are happening in federal health policy. The Department of Justice is moving medical marijuana to a less strict legal category to make research and treatment easier. At the CDC, Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya canceled a study about COVID-19 vaccines, saying the research methods were flawed.

Meanwhile, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are pushing new rules to speed up insurance approvals for prescription drugs. They want to replace outdated fax machines with fast digital systems. Dr. Oz is also demanding that states crack down on Medicaid fraud to protect the programs he calls America's "crown jewels."

For more details, see rssapp-advisory-com-daily-briefing at advisory.com/daily-briefing/2026/04/29/health-policy-roundup (opens in new tab)