Cannabis Business Times

12/23/2025

The typical U.S. cannabis dispensary would save $268,000 annually, and as much as $805,000 in higher-volume states like Maryland, under a Schedule III listing, according to Headset. The industry data and analytics provider's latest report breaks down state-by-state impacts of the 280E tax burden.

“When retailers operate under persistent cash pressure, it increases fragility across the broader supply chain.”

Cannabis retailers in higher-volume states, such as Maryland, would save $805,000 annually per store if the Section 280E tax burden is removed.

12/22/2025

Despite mixed industry reactions to Trump's cannabis rescheduling order, Schedule III is neither salvation nor sabotage (Op-Ed):

"When people assert with certainty that Schedule III must mean pharmacy-only distribution, prescription-only access, or the immediate collapse of adult-use markets, they are not describing what the executive order states. They are describing an imagined endpoint based on selective precedent and political anxiety," Robert Sean Davis argues.

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/cannabis-rescheduling/news/15774689/when-polarization-replaces-governance-cannabis-rescheduling-and-the-cost-of-fearbased-leadership-opinion

12/22/2025

Are you planning on expanding your cultivation/processing facility, or adding a new site nearby to complement your main operation? Ohio-based cannabis cultivator Galenas General Manager Christine DeJesus provides 4 key considerations for planning your operation.

"Investing time in the purposeful design of an expansion site must be strategic, and fleshing out the exact purpose and function of the expansion site is the critical first step toward continued success."

Carefully designing and dovetailing the functions of multiple cultivation and processing facilities can benefit the dynamics of the entire operation.

12/19/2025

A Massachusetts campaign to kill the state's adult-use cannabis market advances, crossing the 74,574-signature threshold, the state secretary announced. The nation's leading prohibitionist group also announced a multimillion-dollar effort to support it.

"We still have the power to take back our public health.”

The secretary of the commonwealth determined the campaign gathered enough signatures to transmit its petition to the state Legislature.

12/19/2025

60+ Cannabis Industry Stakeholders react to Trump's rescheduling order, highlighting overwhelmingly supportive viewpoints of Schedule III being a positive step, but not the final destination.

"We commend the administration for taking this historic step, while recognizing it is only the beginning."

However, not all commenters had positive things to say: "The administration’s plan to reclassify cannabis amounts to a tax giveaway for cannabis business owners without any protections for the workers who power this industry."

Business executives, advocates, attorneys, politicians, and ancillary service providers overwhelmingly applaud the order as a first step, not an end destination.

12/18/2025

A day that the cannabis industry won't soon forget, Trump's Schedule III order has arrived!

Goodbye, Section 280E tax burdens.

Hello, currently accepted medical use.

“This is a big day and really for many reasons."

The president issued the executive order on Dec. 18, calling on his Attorney General to reclassify cannabis to a lower schedule.

12/16/2025

The U.S. Senate is moving forward with President Donald Trump's drug czar nomination, with Sara Carter Bailey's pending confirmation potentially representing an "event" tied to a Schedule III announcement.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., presented a cloture motion with 17 senators' signatures on Monday, paving the way for a floor vote.

The chamber presented a cloture motion on Sara Bailey’s confirmation, as the president corroborated reports that he’s considering a Schedule III order.

12/16/2025

President Donald Trump is not only “looking at” reclassifying cannabis to a Schedule III substance: He’s now “considering” it, too. This latest development took four months to unfold.

“We are considering it, because a lot of people want to see it – the reclassification – because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify, so we are looking at that very strongly,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks come after reports of an Oval Office meeting in which he indicated he’d issue an executive order.

12/12/2025

San Francisco suspended its cannabis tax for 10 YEARS under the premise that legal cannabis cannot survive if governments treat it primarily as a revenue source rather than as a critical medical and economic sector for its citizens, Hirsh Jain argues in this Cannabis Business Times op-ed.

"The board’s action this week reaffirms the city’s longstanding belief that cannabis is medicine and that affordability is essential for access."

The city’s Board of Supervisors voted to suspend its local cannabis business tax until Dec. 31, 2035.

12/12/2025

President Donald Trump is expected to direct his cabinet to move forward on a proposal to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III, but the decision isn’t final.

“This monumental change will have a massive, positive effect on thousands of state-legal cannabis businesses."

President Donald Trump is expected to direct his cabinet to move forward on a proposal to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III, but the decision isn’t final.

12/11/2025

Will a pair of U.S. senators keep h**p legal through a federal regulatory structure?

“We learned from the failed war on drugs that a one-size-fits-all approach banning h**p products from the market outright does nothing to protect kids and consumers."

The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act would create a ‘strict regulatory regime’ for h**p-derived consumer products.

12/10/2025

The Massachusetts petition campaign to end a $1.6B adult-use market submitted 76,000+ signatures to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office, leaving itself with little wiggle room for the 74,574 signatures required in the final review process.

“That petition was ... filed late in the day on the day of the deadline. Our Elections Division is still processing the petitions, but we hope to complete certification by the end of the month.”

The secretary of the commonwealth is processing the signatures, reviewing each petition sheet for disqualifying marks and proper certification.