At the start of another new year, advocates and lawmakers are again eyeing recreational and medical marijuana legalization opportunities in states across the country. This time, however, the momentum for cannabis reform at the local level comes amid a pending federal rescheduling process.
Nearly half of states in the U.S. have enacted adult-use legalization, and the vast majority of states allow some form of medical cannabis access for qualified patients. But the push for further reform isn’t letting up in 2026, with advocates targeting states across the country—from New Hampshire to Hawaii and several in between.
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing the attorney general to complete the process of moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) may also bolster state-level reform efforts. That policy change wouldn’t federally legalize marijuana, but some advocates feel it could embolden more state lawmakers to supporting ending prohibition locally.
“President Trump’s executive order directing his attorney general to swiftly reschedule cannabis to Schedule III, coupled with the [Food and Drug Administration’s] prior analysis recommending rescheduling, should be a game changer in the states that have failed to adopt medical cannabis laws,” Karen O’Keefe, state policy director
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