Looking ahead to marijuana reform in 2026, which is sure to be predictably unpredictable
In this prior post, I rounded up a number of stories from a number of sources detailing and discussing some of the (many) marijuana reform highlights from 2025. After that looking back and as the calendar has turned, now it is time for a round up of pieces looking forward with thoughts and prediction about what may transpire in 2026:
From GreenState, “Legalization Nation: 2026 will be chaos for cannabis and hemp“
From The Hill, “Will marijuana be legalized, rescheduled in 2026?“
From JD Supra, “2026 Cannabis Predictions: It’s Deja Vu All Over Again?“
From Law360, “Marijuana And Hemp Policy Enters Uncharted Waters In 2026“
In addition, though not a full prediction article, a new Politico piece, “Trump’s embrace of pot has Republicans in Congress fuming,” usefully highlights how unpredictable marijuana politics can be, which seems especially important in a big election year. Here is how this article gets started:
President Donald Trump has a GOP revolt on his hands. It’s about weed. In announcing last month that he wants to reduce government regulations on marijuana that have kept taxes high for cannabis companies and made it difficult for researchers to study the drug’s health effects, the president got on the wrong side of the Republican House speaker and four of the party’s top leaders in the Senate.
Trump’s move came a month after Republicans in Congress pushed through their own law, as part of a funding bill to end the government shutdown, restricting products made with a cannabis-derived compound. Considering Republicans have, by and large, stood by Trump on even his most controversial decisions, the split over pot stands out.