If you’ve been growing up in the hills or following cannabis reform for any stretch of time, you know we’ve heard a lot of promises over the years. Politicians love to talk a big game about marijuana reform right up until it’s time to actually do something. So when Trump signed an executive order on December 18, 2025 directing the rescheduling of marijuana, a lot of folks in our community had the same reaction: “Cool, but what does this actually mean for us?”
Fair question. Let’s break it down — no spin, no hype, just what’s really happening and what it means for the people who’ve been in this fight long before it was politically convenient.
What Trump Actually Signed
On December 18, 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to “expedite the rescheduling of marijuana” from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. That’s the same schedule as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and anabolic steroids.
Now here’s the thing — presidents can’t just wave a pen and change drug schedules. That’s not how it works. The executive order directs the AG to speed up a process that was already in motion. The DEA had been dragging its feet on a rulemaking proposal from May 2024 to reschedule cannabis, and this order basically told them to get moving.
But an executive order isn’t a law. It’s more like a boss memo — strong in tone, limited in actual power.
The DEA’s Reality Check
Right on cue, the DEA stepped in on January 6, 2026 to remind everyone that formal rulemaking still has to happen. There’s a whole bureaucratic process — notice and comment periods, administrative hearings, the works. You can’t just skip it because the president said so.
And here’s where things get really interesting. The DEA’s Chief Administrative Law Judge — the person who would actually preside over the rescheduling hearing — retired back in July 2025. That’s right. There’s literally no judge at the DEA to run the hearing. You can’t make this stuff up.
So even with an executive order pushing things forward, the mechanics of government are moving at their usual glacial pace. We’re probably looking at months — maybe well into 2026 or even 2027 — before anything is finalized.
What Schedule III Actually Means
Let’s say rescheduling does happen. What changes?
The biggest deal is taxes. Right now, cannabis businesses get absolutely crushed by Section 280E of the tax code, which says businesses trafficking in Schedule I or II substances can’t deduct normal business expenses. We’re talking rent, payroll, equipment — stuff every other business in America writes off. Cannabis companies? They pay effective tax rates of 50-70% in some cases.
If marijuana moves to Schedule III, 280E no longer applies. That’s a massive financial lifeline for dispensaries, cultivators, and especially the small growers who’ve been getting squeezed out by big money operators. For folks in Humboldt and the Emerald Triangle who’ve been trying to go legal, this could be the difference between making it and going under.
Research opens up. Schedule III means universities and labs can study cannabis without jumping through a million hoops. That means better science on medicinal uses, dosing, terpene profiles — all the stuff our community has known intuitively for decades that the research establishment is just now catching up on. Speaking of which, check out the recent study on how marijuana terpenes are as effective as morphine for pain relief.
Banking gets easier. Schedule III substances don’t carry the same stigma with banks and credit unions. Cannabis businesses that have been running on cash — which is a safety nightmare — could finally get access to normal financial services.
What It Doesn’t Do
Here’s where we need to keep it real. Rescheduling to Schedule III does NOT:
- Legalize recreational marijuana federally. Schedule III substances are still controlled. You’d still need a prescription or state-legal framework to be compliant.
- Override state laws. States that have legalized aren’t affected. States that haven’t won’t suddenly have legal weed.
- Release anyone from prison. People sitting in cells for cannabis offenses don’t automatically get out because of a scheduling change.
- Create a federal regulatory framework for adult-use sales. That would require Congress to actually pass legislation.
So while this is a step forward, let’s not pretend the war is over. The people who’ve been locked up, the families torn apart, the small farmers pushed out — rescheduling alone doesn’t fix any of that.
The Gun Rights Angle
This one’s been flying under the radar but it’s huge. Both the NRA and NORML — two organizations that don’t agree on much — have filed briefs to the Supreme Court arguing that cannabis consumers shouldn’t lose their Second Amendment rights. Under current federal law, if you use cannabis (even legally under state law), you’re a “prohibited person” who can’t buy or possess firearms.
In states like ours where people grow their own and also own firearms for rural living, this has been a real tension point. Nobody should have to choose between their medicine and their constitutional rights. If rescheduling helps resolve this, that’s a win nobody expected from this particular administration.
The Opposition Is Already Mobilizing
Don’t think this is going to be smooth sailing. Prohibitionist groups are gearing up for legal challenges. Some anti-cannabis organizations have retained former Attorney General Bill Barr — yes, Trump’s own former AG — as legal counsel to fight the rescheduling in court.
The pharmaceutical industry also isn’t thrilled about easier access to a plant that competes with their painkillers, sleep aids, and anti-anxiety meds. Expect lawsuits, lobbying, and every delay tactic in the book.
This is going to be a fight. But when has it not been?
What This Means for Our Community
For the growers up in the hills who’ve been doing this since before it was trendy, the ones who fought for Prop 215 and went legal under Prop 64 only to get hit with crushing taxes and regulations — rescheduling is a lifeline, but it’s not salvation.
The 280E relief alone could save small cannabis businesses tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. That’s the difference between keeping the lights on and closing up shop. That matters.
But we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. We need federal legalization, not just rescheduling. We need expungement for people convicted of cannabis offenses. We need equity programs that actually work. We need the people who built this culture to benefit from its legalization, not just the corporations with lobbyists.
And while the federal government is loosening restrictions on marijuana, they’re simultaneously cracking down hard on hemp — which makes zero sense but is very much happening.
The executive order is a nudge in the right direction. It’s not the finish line. Keep pushing, keep organizing, and keep showing up. That’s how we got this far, and that’s how we’ll get the rest of the way.
Stay tuned — we’ll be tracking every development as the rescheduling process moves forward. And if you want to know which states are making moves on legalization this year, we’ve got you covered.
Want to stay connected with the cannabis community? Join us on Discord or check out the conversation at r/DivineTribeVaporizers.