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“If cannabis is medicine, why is the system built as if it were only a retail commodity?” By Jordan Tishler, MD, Association of Cannabinoid Specialists Currently, medical cannabis programs across the United States are dwindling. This is directly a result of these programs being deprioritized in favor of recreational programs and being regulated in a manner that neither provides support to clinicians to do their jobs, nor value to patients who need safe, effective products and expert medical guidance to achieve benefit. Among the many problems baked into these medical cannabis programs, the financial requirements to become a medical dispensary actually disincentivize dispensaries from participating. States must overhaul cannabis rules to make it feasible—and attractive—for dispensaries to prioritize medical patients instead of treating them as an afterthought in a recreational market. What Eastham Shows Us A recent article in the Provincetown Independent discusses the issues confronting the owners of a dispensary in Eastham, Massachusetts who have decided to swim upstream and apply for a medical license—a truly rare occurrence these days. It has to be asked why new medical dispensaries are so rarely opened these days. In fact, Massachusetts has lost a significant number of medical dispensaries in the past year. Emerald Grove’s plan to add medical marijuana services, in a market crowded with recreational options, has been stymied by out-of-date and disincentivizing state regulation. The article notes that critics of state rules argue that a shift toward prioritizing medicinal use is needed, underscoring that current policy treats medical access as incidental to the non-therapeutic (aka recreational) industry rather than as a core public health service. Medical patients on the Outer Cape, like elsewhere in Massachusetts, often travel long distances or navigate complex systems to find knowledgeable clinicians, consistent products and medically oriented counseling—needs that are not reliably met in a purely recreational framework. When a single dispensary’s decision to add medical services becomes newsworthy, that is not a sign of healthy access; it is a red flag that the system is failing patients. How Current Rules Undermine Medical Care From the perspective of practicing cannabinoid medicine, several regulatory features consistently undermine the development of robust medical programs. These include: Licensing structures that treat medical service as an optional add-on to recreational stores, rather than as a distinct health-care function with its own standards and incentives. Fees and tax policies that make medical operations financially marginal compared with recreational sales, pushing operators to focus on tourists and high-volume nonmedical consumers. Lack of tax and other incentives to consumers to encourage them to seek medical care for their illnesses. Current incentives only encourage high volume users to seek “certification” in order to obtain excessive amounts of product. Lack of mandated prescribing by trained cannabinoid clinicians, so “medical” offerings are often little more than branding, with no real clinical guidance or follow-up. Association of Cannabinoid Specialists (ACS) was founded precisely because patients are uniquely vulnerable in this space and have very different needs from recreational users. When regulations blur or ignore that distinction, patients with cancer, chronic pain, PTSD, and other conditions are left to self-experiment under the guise of “advice” from untrained retail staff. What Patients Actually Need For cannabis to function as medicine, patients need access not just to products, but to a system designed around clinical care. That means: Dispensaries that commit to medical programs with binding prescriptions, documentation standards and coordination with the patient’s Cannabinoid Specialist clinicians. Clinicians who understand dosing paradigms, interactions and risk mitigation, and who can tailor regimens to complex comorbidities. Product lines that are consistent, labeled to medical standards and available reliably over time so that titration and monitoring are meaningful. States that treat cannabis primarily as a tax-revenue generator will not get this kind of system by accident. It must be built intentionally through regulation that privileges patient care over volume sales. Regulatory Changes States Should Enact From ACS’s perspective, several concrete reforms are essential if states want medical dispensaries like the one in Eastham to flourish rather than watching these programs dwindle and disappear. Key changes include: Maintaining distinct medical licenses with fees reduced below those of recreational stores, streamlined applications and regulatory stability in exchange for meeting higher clinical standards. Requiring formal prescriptions to be written by qualified cannabinoid clinicians, including written care protocols and documented patient education, and requiring that licensed medical dispensaries honor those prescriptions without modification or addition. Establishing product standards and testing tailored to medical use, such as tighter tolerances on labeled cannabinoid content and clear guidance on excipients. Further, such products must always be available to patients. These are not theoretical tweaks; they are practical tools for building a stable ecosystem in which operators have a reason to invest in medical services instead of quietly abandoning them when margins tighten. A Call to Lawmakers and Regulators The Eastham example should prompt state policymakers to ask a simple question: if cannabis is medicine, why is the system built as if it were only a retail commodity? Legislators, regulators and municipal officials must partner with organizations like ACS to redesign rules so that medical care is not a side project of the recreational industry, but its own pillar of the health-care system. Patients deserve access to knowledgeable clinicians, medically focused dispensaries and products that support real treatment, not just trial-and-error self-use. States that are willing to revise their regulations accordingly will see more Emerald Groves choosing to offer true medical cannabis services—and more patients getting the care they were promised when medical legalization first passed. Jordan Tishler, MD is the president of the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists. The post Patients Need More Medically Focused Cannabis Dispensaries (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is defending its decision to adopt a rule adding restrictions on companies that provide services to marijuana businesses, making it so participants in a particular government loan guarantee program are prohibited from receiving income from cannabis operations. After posting the finalized rule in October 2024—amending a guaranteed loan program called OneRD through USDA’s Rural Utilities Service—the agency published a notice in the Federal Register last month responding to comments on the marijuana-related policy change. Regarding cannabis, the rule bars lenders from working with an entity “if it derives income from illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or any other illegal product or activity as defined under Federal statute.” “A borrower that intends to lease space or enter into a power purchase agreement with a marijuana dispensary is not eligible,” the rule says, “given our borrower would be receiving income from the marijuana operation which is a violation of Federal laws as marijuana is a controlled substance under Federal law and subject to Federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812).” USDA said in the latest notice that all four people who comments on the rule “indicated disagreement with the Agency’s decision to prohibit an entity that receives income from marijuana operations from receiving Agency assistance.” “The Agency is aware that many states have legalized the production and sale of marijuana; however, marijuana is currently listed as a schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act,” it said. “As noted in the regulation any entity that derives income from illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or any other illegal product or activity are ineligible under Federal Statute.” “No change to the rulemaking is necessary,” it said. “The Agency appreciates the comments received. The Agency confirms the final rule without change.” It’s unclear whether the rule could be impacted if the attorney general follows through with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing the completion of a process to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, although the USDA rule is another reminder of the complications around the state–federal conflict on marijuana laws, the agency has been working to bolster the hemp industry since the legalization of that crop through the 2018 Farm Bill, including by appointing a number of industry stakeholders to a federal trade advisory committee that’s meant to support efforts to promote U.S.-grown cannabis around the world. It also remains to be seen how the department will navigate a newly enacted law reimposing a federal ban on most consumable hemp products, which is the most profitable sector of the market. In addition to directing marijuana rescheduling, Trump also took steps to remediate that policy change, which is currently set to be implemented next November. Specifically, he called for access to full-spectrum CBD products. The president said the cannabinoid holds therapeutic potential and should be covered for certain patients under Medicare. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Feds Defend Decision To Block Companies That Work With Marijuana Industry From Participating In Loan Program appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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FL medical marijuana expansion; New ad cheers Trump’s rescheduling move; OH gov slams cannabis referendum; NJ medical marijuana patient count drops Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Danny Brown: “Your timely and accurate reporting are the best in the industry. It takes me ten minutes and I am all caught up on the latest cannabis news.” Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Pennsylvania’s House speaker said legalizing marijuana could help to generate “very important” revenue for the state if only lawmakers have “the will to do it”—noting that the Senate has so far refused to join her chamber in passing legislation to end cannabis prohibition. A Florida senator filed a bill to expand medical cannabis access by waiving registration fees for military veterans, making patient registrations last twice as long and increasing smokable marijuana supply limits. America First Agriculture, Inc.—a group connected to a political action committee sharing the same treasurer as President Donald Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC—launched a new ad applauding his marijuana rescheduling order, arguing it’ll “destroy” the illicit market and support seniors and military veterans who could benefit from cannabis. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) office and a GOP senator are criticizing a citizen-led cannabis referendum campaign that seeks to reverse lawmakers’ move to recriminalize certain marijuana activity and restrict hemp products. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission reports that the state’s number of registered medical marijuana patients has dropped 20 percent since the beginning of 2025. / FEDERAL An analysis of the wreckage of an alleged drug boat destroyed by Trump administration military strikes found that “most packets were empty, though traces of a substance that looked and smelled like marijuana were found in the lining of a few.” The Drug Enforcement Administration is promoting drug facts to “prevent misuse, avoid harmful interactions, and recognize warning signs early to help those in need.” The Congressional Research Service published updated reports on changes to the federal definition of hemp. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) discussed marijuana and hemp with Tucker Carlson. / STATES A Tennessee representative plans to file a bill to legalize marijuana possession and home cultivation in the 2026 session. A former Delaware judge authored an op-ed arguing that it would make more sense to move marijuana to Schedule II rather than Schedule III. Florida regulators adopted changes to medical cannabis rules. California regulators are moving to change cannabis cultivation and minimum sanitation standard rules. Michigan regulators published updated guidance on a newly approved marijuana tax increase. Colorado regulators published guidance on cannabis business research and development units. Minnesota cannabis regulators sent a reminder about the deadline to apply for a community restoration grant program. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL The Cayman Islands Law Reform Commission hasn’t acted on marijuana decriminalization months after voters approved a referendum supporting the reform. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “legalization reduces but does not eliminate illicit THC sales.“ A study of fibromyalgia patients found “an association between treatment with [cannabis-based medicinal products] and improvements in pain, anxiety, sleep, and general quality of life.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Dallas Morning News editorial board says there is “weak evidence on medical benefits” of marijuana, “but more on its dangers.” / BUSINESS Organigram Global Inc. is expanding its investment in Phylos Bioscience Inc. AYR Wellness Inc.’s interim chief financial officer is leaving the company. The former chairman of Hightimes Holding Corp. wrote in an op-ed that cannabis reform should be accompanied by “an honest conversation about addiction.” / CULTURE Paul McCartney visited the marijuana dispensary owned by Bill Maher and Woody Harrelson, Maher said. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Max Jackson. The post Pennsylvania should legalize cannabis, top lawmaker says (Newsletter: January 1, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Most other states allow people to grow their own marijuana at home, particularly medical marijuana users, while New Jersey still fully bans it. By Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, New Jersey Monitor New Jersey’s steep decline in medical marijuana patients continued with another 20 percent drop since the beginning of 2025. Between January and December, roughly 14,000 people let their medical marijuana registration lapse, a trend that has continued since the recreational market launched in April 2022. As of mid-December, 51,776 people are registered medical marijuana patients, according to the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission. In June 2022, that figure was nearly 130,000. Medical marijuana cardholders get some benefits. Dispensaries hold patient-only hours, give patients special parking, and let them skip ahead of recreational users in line. Patients also avoid paying cannabis taxes and can purchase up to 3 ounces of cannabis per month. Before the recreational market opened, patients were the only New Jerseyans who could legally buy marijuana. In recent years, officials have attempted to attract people back to the medical program by dropping the price of a registration card from $200 to $10 (there’s also a free digital option). People must also obtain a card from doctors who qualify to write medical cannabis prescriptions for treatment of conditions like epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, cancer and more. The drop in enrollment has reflected the trends other states have seen when launching adult-use weed. But most other states allow people to grow their own marijuana at home, particularly medical marijuana users, while New Jersey still fully bans it. This story was first published by New Jersey Monitor. The post New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program Sees Steep Drop In Registered Patients appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Florida Republican senator has filed a bill to expand the state’s medical marijuana program, in part by increasing supply limits for patients and waiving registration fees for honorably discharged military veterans. The legislation from Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R), filed for the 2026 session on Tuesday, would also make it so medical cannabis registrations could last up to two years instead of the current 30 weeks. Another section of the bill stipulates that doctors could certify patients to receive up to 10 70-day supply limits of smokable medical marijuana, rather than three. They could also issue up to 20 35-day supply limits instead of the current six. A similar version of legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Bill Partington (R) earlier this month. That bill additionally called for reciprocity in the program, requiring regulators to create a process to issue medical cannabis registration cards to “nonresidents who are actively enrolled in the medical cannabis program of another jurisdiction recognized by the department within 1 business day.” It specifies that “a visiting qualified patient may engage in all conduct authorized for a qualified patient.” It would also allow doctors to recommend cannabis to any patient who has a condition for which they have been prescribed opioids. Another provision of the House bill absent from the new Senate version would allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis via telehealth without a physical examination—expanding a current policy that allows renewals, but not initial certifications, to be conducted remotely. Other recently filed bills in the legislature for 2026 would reduce medical cannabis patient registration fees for military veterans and clarify that smoking or vaping marijuana in public places is prohibited. Meanwhile, a Florida Democratic senator introduced legislation for the 2026 session that would legalize home cultivation of marijuana for registered medical cannabis patients in the state. The proposal would permit qualified patients who are at least 21 years old to cultivate up to six flowering plants for personal, therapeutic use. Those patients could also buy seeds and clones from licensed dispensaries. If enacted into law, the bill would become law on July 1, 2026. A similar proposal was introduced at the beginning of this year by Sen. Joe Gruters (R), who is now chairman of the Republican National Committee, but it did not advance. Gruters and Kim Rivers—the CEO of Trulieve, a medical marijuana company that provided the bulk of funding for an unsuccessful cannabis legalization ballot initiative last year—also met with President Donald Trump ahead of his endorsement of the constitutional amendment, as well as federal rescheduling and industry banking access. The campaign behind that initiative, Smart & Safe Florida, recently said it’s collected more than one million signatures to put a new version of the legalization measure on the 2026 ballot. But the signature gathering process has hit multiple snags that have led to litigation, including a new lawsuit filed by activists challenging the state’s decision to invalidate another 71,000 signatures over issues related to “inactive” voters and out-of-state petitioners. This comes after another court upheld a previous decision to strike about 200,000 signatures that the state said were invalid because the petitions didn’t include the full text of the proposed initiative. The campaign contested the legal interpretation, but it declined to appeal the decision based on their confidence they’d collected enough signatures to make up the difference. Now, with a February 1 deadline to submit 880,062 valid signatures just about a month away, Smart & Safe Florida is signaling that the additional invalidations could jeopardize their chances of making the ballot. Currently, the state has validated 675,307 signatures. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Florida’s attorney general asked the state Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of the legalization initiative. The court accepted the request and set a schedule for state officials and the cannabis campaign to file briefs next month. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) campaigned heavily against an earlier version of the legalization proposal, which received a majority of voters last year but not enough to meet the 60 percent threshold required to pass a constitutional amendment. Former Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) unsuccessfully contested the prior initiative in the courts. In March, meanwhile, two Democratic members of Congress representing Florida asked the federal government to investigate what they described as “potentially unlawful diversion” of millions in state Medicaid funds via a group with ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The money was used to fight against a citizen ballot initiative, vehemently opposed by the governor, that would have legalized marijuana for adults. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — In the background, a recent poll from a Trump-affiliated research firm found that nearly 9 in 10 Florida voters say they should have the right to decide to legalize marijuana in the state. Meanwhile, a pro-legalization GOP state lawmaker recently filed a bill to amend state law to codify that the public use of marijuana is prohibited. Rep. Alex Andrade (R), the sponsor, said earlier this year that embracing cannabis reform is a way for the Republican party to secure more votes from young people. Separately, Florida medical marijuana officials are actively revoking the registrations of patients and caregivers with drug-related criminal records. The policy is part of broad budget legislation signed into law earlier this year by DeSantis. The provisions in question direct the state Department of Health (DOH) to cancel registrations of medical marijuana patients and caregivers if they’re convicted of—or plead guilty or no contest to—criminal drug charges. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post Florida GOP Senator’s Bill Would Expand Medical Marijuana Law By Waiving Fees For Veterans And Making Patient Cards Last Twice As Long appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The [2023] ballot initiative had absolutely zero effect on anything in the hemp industry. But it sounds like that’s the vast majority of what people want to overturn.” By Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal Ohioans for Cannabis Choice is mounting a referendum effort against a new law cracking down on intoxicating hemp and making several changes to Ohio’s voter-passed recreational marijuana law. If its signature gathering effort proves successful, Ohio voters will be asked whether to reject provisions of Ohio Senate Bill 56 next November. They’ll need to collect almost 250,000 signatures to put that question on the ballot. Ohio voters approved adult-use marijuana at the ballot box in November 2023. State lawmakers have been wrestling with changes to that law ever since. Wesley Bryant, the owner of 420 Craft Beverages in Cleveland and one of the petitioners leading the referendum campaign, called lawmakers’ recent changes “a slap in the face to voters who overwhelmingly voted to legalize cannabis in 2023.” What’s in the bill Among S.B. 56’s changes, lawmakers capped marijuana potency, prohibited smoking in most public places, and imposed penalties on smoking in vehicles—as a driver or a passenger. Bringing legally purchased marijuana into Ohio from another stat would become illegal and Ohioans would face criminal penalties if they exceeded limits on homegrown cannabis. The new law also eliminates anti-discrimination provisions related to housing, employment, and organ donation. But perhaps the biggest change for Ohio’s marijuana industry is language banning intoxicating hemp outside of a licensed cannabis dispensary. Those products start from cannabis plants with very little naturally occurring THC and then alter other compounds in a laboratory setting to create more of the chemical that makes users feel high. The prohibition brings Ohio in line with recent changes to federal law. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has been complaining for almost two years about the proliferation of intoxicating hemp products like gummies made to look like popular candy brands or other snacks. By signing S.B. 56 those products become illegal in March. Notably, state lawmakers had thrown a lifeline to the state’s booming THC beverage industry. The bill that arrived on DeWine’s desk would’ve allowed beverages with up to 5 milligrams of THC to be produced and sold in Ohio until the end of 2026, when federal law kicks in and they become illegal. Instead, DeWine issued a line-item veto effectively prohibiting them in March along with other intoxicating hemp products. The referendum Ohioans for Cannabis Choice quickly announced plans for the referendum and filed its initial batch of signatures a little more than a week after DeWine signed the legislation. “In filing our petitions today,” Bryant said in a statement, “We are taking a stand for Ohioans against politicians in Columbus and saying no to the government overreach of S.B. 56.” With petitions delivered, state officials are on the clock. The Secretary of State has 10 business days to verify the signatures, and the Attorney General has the same amount of time to certify the petition summary is fair and truthful. If the petition clears those bars, organizers can begin canvassing to collect signatures. They’ll need 6 percent of the total number of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election (248,092). The group will also need 3 percent of an individual county’s gubernatorial turnout in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Organizers will have 90 days from the date the governor filed the law with the secretary to collect the require signatures. Another petitioner, Tuscarawas County hemp farmer Joseph Ellwood, said ordinary Ohioans weren’t asking for changes lawmakers made. “Ohioans oppose re-criminalizing cannabis,” he said. “For example, making it a crime to grow more than six plants, a crime to have unauthorized paraphernalia, and a crime to buy marijuana in Michigan and bring it home.” “And this is just the start,” Ellwood added. “Politicians in Columbus won’t stop until marijuana and hemp are completely illegal in Ohio again.” Andrew Greene, the group’s third petitioner and an employee at a Dayton distribution center, said numerous jobs are at stake if S.B. 56 takes effect. “There are thousands of workers like me who are going to lose their jobs because S.B. 56 will close more than 6,000 small businesses across Ohio,” Greene said. “It’s sad because the cannabis industry, both hemp and marijuana, support legislation that will protect consumers and strengthen Ohio farmers and small businesses,” he went on, “But these out-of-touch politicians are hell bent on re-criminalizing marijuana and hemp products.” Reactions The measure’s sponsor, state Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, expressed some sympathy for those frustrated with the bill, but portrayed several provisions as clarifications rather than wholesale changes. He pointed to the number of plants allowed for home growers as an example. “We clarified the number of plants—six for one person, six for the other—that didn’t change,” he said of the 12-plant household limit. “But the way the ballot initiative was, you weren’t allowed to be prosecuted till 23 [plants] which really didn’t make sense, and 12 seemed to be what was intended, and we went with that.” Lawmakers improved the expungement process, he added, and did work behind the scenes to hopefully streamline licensing and regulation for business owners. And Huffman questioned the motives of those behind the referendum. Although Ohio voters approved adult-use marijuana, he said, much of the pushback against his bill seems to be coming from the hemp industry. “The [2023] ballot initiative had absolutely zero effect on anything in the hemp industry,” Huffman said. “But it sounds like that’s the vast majority of what people want to overturn.” “There’s some contradiction there,” he added. DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney made a similar point. While he stressed it’s the right of any Ohio citizen to pursue a referendum, the organizers’ claim that S.B. 56 goes against the will of the voters is “inconsistent.” The 2023 ballot measure could’ve allowed marijuana sales anywhere, Tierney said, but it didn’t. And so seeking a referendum to protect the sale of THC infused beverages in bars or convenience stores doesn’t protect the will of the voters. This story was first published by Ohio Capital Journal. The post Ohio Governor And GOP Senator Criticize Activists Pushing Referendum To Reverse Marijuana And Hemp Restrictions appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

An agriculture-focused conservative nonprofit connected to a PAC linked to President Donald Trump is applauding his recent marijuana rescheduling order, arguing that it will “destroy” the illicit market and support seniors and military veterans who could benefit from cannabis. America First Agriculture Inc.—a group affiliated with a PAC of a similar name that previously urged Trump to follow through on a campaign pledge to reschedule marijuana—said in a new ad that the president “promised to put America first, and his word is as good as gold.” “Trump delivered a secure border, unleashed American energy and provided the largest tax cut in American history. Now Trump has delivered again by rescheduling cannabis, which was classified as more dangerous than fentanyl,” it said. “Trump’s action will destroy the cartel’s illicit black market, expand medical research and ensure seniors and veterans safely receive the care they need,” the ad continued. “Thank President Trump for delivering on another America First promise.” When President Trump makes a promise, his word is gold. Trump delivered again by rescheduling cannabis. This new America First win will destroy the cartel's black market, expand medical research, and ensure seniors and veterans receive needed care. Thank you, President Trump! pic.twitter.com/No8YYXesXy — America First Agriculture Inc. (@amfirstaginc) December 19, 2025 The description of the impact of the executive order is somewhat exaggerated, in part because it suggests the rescheduling deal is done. In reality, the order directs the attorney general to expeditiously complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Justice Department has not given a timeline for when that might happen, and congressional researchers recently pointed out that it’s possible the agency could start the process over again, or decline to move forward all together. But even if and when the process is finalized, it’s unclear how that would “destroy” the illicit market. Rescheduling cannabis wouldn’t federally legalize it, which advocates have argued would be necessary in order to meaningfully disrupt illegal sales. The tax parity impact of moving marijuana to Schedule III is one of the more significant reasons industry stakeholders have been pushing for the incremental reform, even if it doesn’t immediately legalize cannabis. Beyond that, a Schedule III designation would symbolically recognize the plant’s medical value and loosen certain research restrictions tied to Schedule I drugs. Notably, the organization behind the new ad is associated with the similarly named America First Agriculture Action Inc., a PAC that lists Charles Gantt as its treasurer. Gantt is also the treasurer of Trump’s own political committee, MAGA Inc., which reported receiving $1 million from a marijuana industry PAC that’s supported by multiple major cannabis companies. That committee, the American Rights and Reform PAC, separately released ads in May that attacked former President Joe Biden’s marijuana policy record in an apparent attempt to push Trump to go further on the issue. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, a coalition of Republican state attorneys general are criticizing Trump’s decision to federally reschedule marijuana, saying cannabis is “properly” classified as a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Earlier this month, groups of House and Senate Republican lawmakers also sent letters urging Trump not to reschedule cannabis. Trump, however, dismissed those concerns—pointing out that an overwhelming majority of Americans support the reform and that cannabis can help people who are suffering from serious health issues, including his personal friends. The post Group With Ties To Trump-Linked PAC Applauds Marijuana Rescheduling Move In New Ad, Saying It’ll Help Veterans And ‘Destroy’ Illicit Market appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The top Pennsylvania House lawmaker says legalizing marijuana is one way to create a “very important” revenue source for the state, and it’s an achievable reform if only legislators could find “the will to do it.” In an interview with City & State that was published on Monday, House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) was asked about the need to bolster revenue and what options might be on the table heading into the 2026 session. “It’s very important. When we talk about the needs for schools, for transit, for roads and bridges, we have to have a way to pay for everything—not just today, but in three years, in six years,” she said. “The only way we can do that is by creating new revenue.” “Some of the ways the governor requested that we create the revenue was through legalizing marijuana, raising the minimum wage, regulating skill games. So we have ways to do it,” the speaker said. “We’ve sent some of those to the Senate, but we haven’t been able to get any of those bills to the governor’s desk.” To that point, the House passed a marijuana legalization bill earlier this year, with a novel proposal to have sales take place at state-run stores, but it was promptly rejected by the GOP-controlled Senate. “I think any of [the revenue options] would be palatable; we just have to have the will to do it. We should do them all,” McClinton said. “We should raise the minimum wage. We should legalize cannabis. We should regulate skill games. We should do them all, because we don’t want to get to a point where we were when I entered into the legislature in 2015 where the deficit was astonishing and large and vast.” Bipartisan Pennsylvania lawmakers who’ve been working to enact adult-use legalization over recent sessions without success so far have also recently said that President Donald Trump’s federal marijuana rescheduling order could grease the wheels in the new year. “I think that having President Trump, in particular, sign this executive order really gives permission for a lot of Republican lawmakers who may have been reticent about actually admitting that they supported it some cover to be able to actually support it,” Rep. Emily Kinkead (D) said. “I am even more optimistic than I was that we are going to get legalization of recreational cannabis done in Pennsylvania in 2026.” Rep. Dan Frankel (D), chair of the House Health Committee and another champion of reform in the legislature, also said the rescheduling move will “bolster the existing medical marijuana marketplace.” While there may be some disagreement among lawmakers about rescheduling or broader reform, Trump’s executive order marks a “step toward common-sense drug policy reform,” Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) said. For what it’s worth, another top GOP senator—Sen. Scott Martin (R), chair of the chamber’s Appropriations Committee—said earlier this month that he was skeptical about the prospects of enacting legalization in the 2026 session, in part because of the federal classification of cannabis that’s now expected to change. Of course, marijuana would still be federally illegal under Schedule III, so it’s unclear if a simple loosening of the law would move the needle enough from his perspective. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — A top aide to Pennsylvania’s governor said in September that lawmakers should stop introducing new competing legalization bills and instead focus on building consensus on the issue—while emphasizing that any measure that advances needs to contain equity provisions if the governor is going to sign it into law. Laughlin, for his part, said in August that the House “needs to pass the language in my bill and send it to my committee” after which point he “can negotiate with the Senate and the governor.” The senator separately said recently that supporters are “picking up votes” to enact the reform this session. Meanwhile, bipartisan Pennsylvania senators in October introduced a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to use of medical marijuana in hospitals. Separately, the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way overstated” potential revenue. The candidate, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), pointed to neighboring Ohio, which launched its own adult-use cannabis market this year, saying “they generated about $115 million in revenue.” And while the populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected $536.5 million in cannabis revenue in the first fiscal year of implementation. She did, however, say that if Pennsylvania moves forward on enacting the reform, she’ll “make sure that it’s banked appropriately.” Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Democratic senator recently said that federal marijuana rescheduling would be “very influential” in advancing legalization in his state, giving “political cover” to GOP members on the fence about reform. Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, due largely to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy change—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Marijuana Legalization Could Boost Pennsylvania’s Revenue, House Speaker Says, If Only Senate Could Find ‘The Will To Do It’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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