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President Trump is opening the door to reclassifying marijuana, potentially allowing the GOP to claim another health issue that's long been associated with Democrats.

Why it matters: The administration has already flipped the political script when it comes to banning food dyes, calling for an end to animal lab testing and embracing psychedelics for mental health.

• Rescheduling marijuana could be a big step toward establishing an interstate cannabis trade — and turning a policy long sought by congressional Democrats and promoted by the Biden administration into reality.

Driving the news: Trump brought up the subject during a recent event with donors at his Bedminster, New Jersey, country club.

• Declaring pot to have medical value and less dangerous than its Schedule I designation would be a major jolt to cannabis companies that run on thin margins, by for example allowing them to deduct business expenses on their taxes, per Axios' Dan Primack.
• Cannabis interests "spent hundreds of millions of dollars in total to influence the president from Florida onward, whether it's inauguration, whether it's million-dollar-plate fundraisers in New Jersey," said Kevin Sabet, founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana who served in the White House Office of Drug Control Policy under three administrations.
• "They are going all out because they want this tax break."

The big picture: A rescheduling would be further evidence of the MAGA world's ability to take the reins on issues once associated with the progressive movement.

• "For the left, it's been much more about sort of social justice and righting the wrongs of the drug war," Sabet said.

Yes, but: This is already stirring up some disagreement among Trump's base.

• "I hope this doesn't happen," Turning Point USA founder and key MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk posted on X. "Everything already smells like weed, which is ridiculous. Let's make it harder to ruin public spaces, not easier."

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The University of Colorado Denver is stepping into uncharted educational territory this fall, offering a program teaching people to administer psychedelic therapy.

Why it matters: It's the first public university-affiliated program for licensure in the country in a nascent field providing an alternative to traditional medical practices.

Led by a professor in the psychology department, the program will train 25 state-licensed facilitators to administer psychedelic treatments.

• The 16-week program falls under CU Denver's Center for Psychedelic Research, which launched last year to enhance research and education on psychedelics' therapeutic benefits.

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The suspect who fired almost 200 rounds at the CDC's Atlanta campus on Friday had written about his desire to make the public aware of his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, authorities said yesterday.

• Patrick Joseph White died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing a police officer. A search of his home turned up documents that "expressed the shooter's discontent with the COVID-19 vaccinations," Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said.

Current situation: FBI officials said yesterday they have not seen an uptick in threats against public health workers but were in communication with CDC security about protective measures.

• More than 500 shell casings were recovered from the scene and about 200 rounds struck six buildings on CDC property.
• White, 30, had recently expressed suicidal thoughts, which led to law enforcement being contacted several weeks before the incident, Hosey said.

The initial shock from the attack has morphed into anger for many CDC employees, the Washington Post reported.

• They fault President Trump for not publicly condemning the shooting as of yesterday and vaccine critics including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for impugning their work, the outlet reported.
• Kennedy visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Monday and viewed shattered windows across multiple buildings, including the main guard booth.

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Electronic health records giant Epic Systems is reportedly preparing to launch its own AI transcription tool, in a move that could help alleviate clinician burnout but spell trouble for health tech startups that have secured hundreds of millions for their own scribes, Erin Brodwin and Brock E.W. Turner wrote first on Pro.

Why it matters: Epic already controls about 50% of the market share of hospital inpatient EHRs and could leverage that market power to capture the "first draft" from doctor‑patient conversations and build broader clinical workflows.

• AI scribes that can securely transcribe medical notes for providers have exploded in popularity, attracting substantial venture capital investment.

What they're saying: Epic's seamless integration could tip the scale, primarily because it's the easiest choice, says Robert Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

• Its reported move also would threaten other incumbent EHRs working on ambient AI products.
• As one hospital executive bluntly put it: "If [Epic] has organizations that are looking, it puts the conversation to bed. It sticks a dagger in companies like Altera and maybe even Oracle."
• Epic did not respond to Axios' requests for comment.

The other side: Despite Epic's market dominance, it's joining the party late and providers that don't use Epic could give rivals like Ambience and Abridge enough of a foothold to stay competitive.

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