Trump’s Rescheduling Decision Leads CBT’s Top Stories in December

The president ordered a Schedule III reclassification. A Massachusetts campaign’s momentum to kill the adult-use market also led this month’s top stories.

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Tony Lange

December 29, 2025

President Donald Trump’s cannabis rescheduling decision and a Massachusetts ballot campaign advancing in its pursuit to end the state’s adult-use cannabis market dominated this month’s headlines as stories our readers did not want to miss.

Coverage of Trump’s private Oval Office meeting with cannabis industry executives, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Mehmet Oz – during which the president cemented his decision in favor of Schedule III – led the way as Cannabis Business Times’ No. 1 most-read article in December.

Follow-up pieces on Trump publicly confirming that he was “considering” an executive order directing U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi to “expedite” the cannabis rescheduling process, and on Trump signing the actual executive order on Dec. 18, took the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively.

“This is really something having to do with common sense, and it’s something having to do with the fact that so many people that I respect asked me to do,” Trump said. “It can make people feel much better that are living through tremendous pain and problems.”

Meanwhile, CBT provided readers with scoops on a Massachusetts prohibition campaign cutting it close on signatures it submitted to potentially land a proposal on the 2026 ballot aimed at killing the state’s licensed adult-use marketplace, as well as on the Secretary of the Commonwealth officially advancing the group’s proposal after determining the campaign gathered the required number of signatures. These articles took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in this month’s Top 10.

Also among the most-read articles were those on two U.S. senators introducing legislation to keep hemp legal through regulations, and on exclusive coverage of five former U.S. Attorneys from President Joe Biden’s administration telling CBT that they never received – or couldn’t remember receiving – an official policy memo that impeded their prosecutorial powers on simple cannabis possession offenses.

Don’t miss out on the rest of our Top 10 stories from December 2025.

The Top 10

No. 10: FDA, DEA May ‘Lack the Resources’ to Enforce New Federal Hemp Product Ban

Congressional researchers are skeptical about how the federal agencies will oversee a new law to prohibit intoxicating hemp products.

No. 9: Industry Stakeholders, Experts React to Trump’s Schedule III Cannabis Order

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

No. 8: 5 Former US Attorneys Say No Cannabis Possession Policy Memo Existed Under Biden

The former federal prosecutors indicated there was no Biden-era guidance on prosecuting simple possession for Trump’s DOJ to rescind.

No. 7: 2 US Senators Introduce Bill to Keep Hemp Legal, Install Regulations

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

No. 6: Senate Moves on Trump’s Drug Czar Nomination, a Potential ‘Event’ Tied to Rescheduling

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

No. 5: Trump Signs Order to Reclassify Cannabis to Schedule III

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

No. 4: Trump Confirms He’s ‘Considering’ Executive Order to Reclassify Cannabis

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

No. 3: Massachusetts Campaign to Kill Adult-Use Cannabis Market Advances Toward 2026 Ballot

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

No. 2: Massachusetts Campaign Cuts It Close, Submits 76K Signatures to End Adult-Use Cannabis Market

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

No. 1: Trump Prepares to Reschedule Cannabis to Schedule III

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.