December 18, 2025
CPEAR Acknowledges Renewed Efforts Toward Reform but Calls for Federal Cannabis Framework
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order calling on the Attorney General to expedite and complete the process of rescheduling cannabis, as well as urging Congress to update the definition of hemp to ensure that full-spectrum CBD is accessible to patients.
The executive order represents renewed efforts to modernize American cannabis policy and highlights some of the ongoing national dialogue around cannabis reform, its medical value, and barriers to research and access. A coordinated federal review offers an opportunity to bring science and safety to the forefront of national cannabis policy reform.
The executive order calls for the following measures:
- Direct the attorney general to expedite the completion of the process of rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substance Act.
- Direct top White House staff to work with Congress to give patients access to full-spectrum CBD products while still restricting the sale of and access to products that cause serious and potentially life-threatening health risks.
- Urge Congress to examine updating the definition of hemp to ensure that full-spectrum CBD is accessible to patients — a policy change that could mitigate some concerns in the sector following a recent spending bill signed by President Trump that included a ban on consumable hemp products.
- Direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “develop research methods and models, to utilize real world evidence [and] to improve access to hemp-derived CBD products in accordance with federal law” while informing “standards of care.”
“These directives are important steps toward the very long overdue cannabis policy reform America needs. CPEAR looks forward to working with Congress and the administration to address critical questions that remain about product safety, youth prevention, and interstate commerce,” said Shanita Penny, executive director of CPEAR. “Only comprehensive federal reform can achieve that.”
CPEAR believes Congress must take the lead in developing a stable, limited federal framework — such as that envisioned in the STATES 2.0 Act — that respects each state’s right to determine its own cannabis laws while maintaining essential national standards for health and safety.
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About the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation
The Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation’s (CPEAR) mission is to advance a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for cannabis. The coalition consists of members representing regulated industries, academics, think tanks, public safety officials, and medical and mental health professionals, all of whom are developing policy and building a national conversation on the federal regulation of cannabis. Together, this coalition strives to be a trusted, science-driven resource for lawmakers and the larger stakeholder community as we collaborate to develop responsible policies that provide access to cannabis while protecting consumers and patients, barring underage use, and upholding public health and safety.
To learn more, visit www.CPEAR.org and follow us on social media!
Media Contact:
press@cpear.org