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Recreational cannabis is now legal in 24 states and three more could legalize some form of marijuana sales this year. But will the DEA finally remove pot from the list of the world’s most dangerous drugs?
Last year was a roller coaster for the cannabis industry. Both presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, came out in favor of reforming the nation’s marijuana laws. But when it came to ballot measures, efforts to legalize adult-use failed in Florida, North and South Dakota. Nebraska, on the other hand, legalized medical marijuana, making it the 39th state to allow for medicinal use of cannabis. In December, the Drug Enforcement Administration held its first meeting about the effort to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug—it is currently in Schedule I, the same category as heroin and LSD.
Even though federal reform is at a standstill, the majority of Americans live in a state where marijuana is legal. Currently, 24 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational use for adults 21 years and older and 39 states have medical programs. Cannabidiol (CBD), another active ingredient in cannabis that is associated with some medical benefits but does not get users high, is federally legal and an additional 10 states passed laws to permit the use of products containing CBD and small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound found in marijuana responsible for getting people “stoned.” That leaves only one state—Idaho—that does not allow for any kind of state-sanctioned marijuana or cannabis-derived product use.
When it comes to hemp-derived THC, which packs the same punch as weed and is federally legal, nearly all Americans can go to a smoke shop, wellness store or gas station and pick up some edibles or vapes. Despite all of this, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.
With President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House later this month, cannabis company executives, advocates and lawyers are optimistic about 2025 being a good year for the budding industry.
The legendary litigator David Boies, who has brought a case seeking to federally legalize state-licensed marijuana, told Forbes late last year that a second Trump term will bode well for weed.
“We are much more likely to see positive change,” said Boies. “Trump’s default is to let the states have it. His inclination is to let people do what they want.”
In the states that have legalized weed, there has been a lot of growth. New York state, which had a rocky roll out plagued with a wild west of unlicensed pot shops, is gaining traction and surpassed $1 billion in legal cannabis sales just two years after its launch. California, which is home to the nation’s largest legal marijuana market, just legalized Amsterdam-style cafes where customers can toke up.
Paul Armentano, deputy director of nonprofit marijuana legalization advocacy group NORML, says that while it is exciting to ponder changes at the federal level, 2025 will be defined by changes made in individual states.
“I think the last four years showed us the reality that executive actions can only go so far,” says Armentano. “The fact is that the Biden Administration was arguably the administration with the most sympathy for marijuana policy reform that we’ve ever had but the power to change federal marijuana laws doesn’t lie with the President. That power lies with Congress.”
And with both chambers ruled by Republicans, who have historically not embraced cannabis legalization, he is not optimistic about federal reform.
“It’s possible that the Trump Administration might lean on some of these lawmakers to prioritize this issue, but there’s certainly no indication from past history that that is something the administration would do,” says Armentano.
As for the DEA rescheduling process, the next hearing will be held on January 21. But do not expect a quick decision.
“This is a long, tenuous process with lots of twists and turns, and anybody who tries to speak definitively with regard to either what the outcome is going to be or when we’re going to have that outcome is speaking out of turn,” he says. “We’re probably still talking years. I know nobody wants to hear that, but that’s just reality.”
Regardless of the outcome and timeline, this year should be one filled with cannabis making headlines. Here’s where the cannabis map could expand in 2025.
Hawaii
Hawaii was the first state to legalize medical marijuana through the state legislature in 2000 but has not been able to legalize a recreational market. The archipelago’s lawmakers tried to pass adult-use in 2024, but the bill passed by the Senate died in committee. The governor, house and senate are all controlled by Democrats, which is a good sign for cannabis reform.
“I would dare say that Hawaii is the jurisdiction where the prospects are the most realistic for legalization this session,” says Armentano.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State legalized medical marijuana in 2016 and Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is in favor of recreational cannabis. Every state bordering Pennsylvania has legalized adult-use cannabis, except for West Virginia which has a strict and limited medical program.
“The nation is now looking at Pennsylvania to be the next large state to legalize adult-use cannabis,” advocacy group Responsible PA said in a statement after Democrats retained their one seat majority in the House. “The conversation will also undoubtedly become a major budget item for PA lawmakers heading into 2025.”
Although Republicans control Pennsylvania’s Senate, there is some bipartisan support for legalization. Governor Shapiro said that he will add recreational cannabis legalization in the state budget request this year again, which would be the third time he has done so.
“Folks are going across state borders in order to purchase it and paying taxes to those states. They should be keeping their money right here in Pennsylvania,” the Governor told TribLive.
Wisconsin
Sixty-three percent of Wisconsin residents favor legalizing marijuana and 86% support medical marijuana, according to a Marquette University Law School poll. While the Senate rejected a bill proposed by the Assembly that featured state-run dispensaries in 2024, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinelin a year-end interview that there is hope for a medical program but no hope for a recreational program.
“A red line for us is that we do not want, like it has in almost every other state, medical marijuana to lead to recreational marijuana,” Vos told the Sentinel. “I think there is a legitimate, compassionate purpose for medicinal, I don’t really see any reason for recreational.”
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“}]] Recreational cannabis is now legal in 24 states and three more could legalize some form of marijuana sales this year. But will the DEA finally remove pot from the list of the world’s most dangerous drugs? Read More
