Updates

[Webinar] Marijuana to Schedule III: What Changes, What Doesn’t, and What Comes Next

Dec 22, 2025

During a press release on December 18, 2025, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to begin the process of reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), marking the most consequential shift in federal cannabis policy in more than 50 years.

This historic action raises immediate and complex questions about how rescheduling will unfold, what changes may take effect in the near term, and how the move to Schedule III could reshape state-legal cannabis programs, enforcement priorities, taxation, medical research, Medicare access, and the hemp and cannabinoid marketplace.

Vicente LLP’s national cannabis policy team's live session, Marijuana to Schedule III: What Changes, What Doesn’t, and What Comes Next, walks through the federal rescheduling framework and provides a clear analysis of the legal, regulatory, and business implications ahead. Speakers will examine the anticipated federal timeline, potential litigation risks, and key considerations for stakeholders as the rulemaking process moves forward.

Vicente attorneys have been deeply involved in advancing federal cannabis rescheduling since 2022, under both the Biden and Trump administrations. Their work has included compiling and reviewing scientific and safety data supporting Schedule III, representing a petitioner in the DEA’s administrative hearing, coordinating thousands of expert public comments during the federal notice-and-comment process, contributing to the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform’s white paper that informed the FDA’s recommendation, and advising on compliance with international treaty obligations.

Topics of discussion include:

  • An overview of cannabis rescheduling and impacts on state-legal programs
  • Federal-state research pilot programs and impacts for medical cannabis
  • Rescheduling timeline, next steps, and potential litigation risks
  • Business and tax impacts, including 280E, banking access, and operational considerations
  • Medical research and patient access implications
  • Hemp and cannabinoid market impacts

Panelists:

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Adam Fine, Brian Vicente, Cassia Furman, Charles Alovisetti, Drug Policy, Drug Reform, Rescheduling Cannabis, Shawn Hauser, Speaking Engagements, Tim Swain, Webinar