I am disinclined to hazard any bold predictions for marijuana reforms looking ahead to 2026 because the past year (and many before) proved so unpredictable. Indeed, 2025 brought huge and surprising activity in the federal cannabis reform space along with (more common and slightly more predictable) state developments.
Helpfully, a number of marijuana news outlets have provided reviews of 2025 highlights from another remarkable year in the reform space:
From Cannabis Science and Technology, “What Happened in 2025 and What’s Next?“
From High Times, “The Year in Weed: 2025’s Biggest Moments“
From The Marijuana Herald, “The Biggest Cannabis News Stories of 2025“
From Marijuana Moment, “Marijuana Saw Some Big Moments In 2025—From Trump’s Rescheduling Order To State Legalization Momentum“
From NORML, “2025 Year in Review: NORML’s Top Ten Events in Marijuana Policy“