As 2025 comes to a close, the cannabis world is reflecting on the sometimes dizzying series of political, legal and cultural shifts that took place this year—and looking ahead to further developments that advocates and industry stakeholders will be navigating in the new year.
Top of mind, of course, is President Donald Trump’s executive order this month directing the attorney general to complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), marking perhaps the most significant administrative cannabis action in U.S. history.
But from the White House to the U.S. Supreme Court to state legislatures across the country, there were additional meaningful marijuana developments this year. That includes the upending of key provisions of federal law that had legalized hemp and its derivatives.
What 2026 will bring is yet to be seen. Many eyes will be focused on how the Justice Department approaches the president’s rescheduling directive, but some see opportunities for further reform—with optimism that there’s momentum to see through a bipartisan banking bill, for example.
And hopes are high that additional states could legalize cannabis in 2026—though advocates are also preparing to fight prohibitionist efforts to roll back wins
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