Federal Cannabis Legalization: Why We're Still Waiting in 2025
Federal Cannabis Legalization: Why We're Still Waiting in 2025
In this episode of Cannabis Legalization News, Tom, a seasoned cannabis lawyer, discusses the ongoing challenges of federal cannabis legalization. Despite multiple efforts and changes over the years, cannabis remains a Schedule One substance under federal law.
Tom reviews historical setbacks, recent developments, and the implications of rescheduling cannabis to Schedule Three. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on state laws, staying compliant, and advocating for local reforms. The episode underscores the need for new congressional legislation to achieve full-scale legalization and provides crucial advice for those in the cannabis industry navigating the current regulatory landscape.
00:00 Welcome to Cannabis Legalization News
00:47 Historical Context of Cannabis Legislation
01:36 Current State of Cannabis Laws
03:05 The Impact of Schedule Three
05:12 Challenges in Federal Legalization
07:03 Strategies for Navigating the Cannabis Industry
09:03 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
I’m Tom, a cannabis lawyer from the Midwest, here to reveal everything you need to know about 🌿 industry. 🌱 What else you want to know? Comment below.
Get in touch with us:
🌱 We can help with your cannabis business. Here is our info.
(https://bit.ly/m/collateral-base)
Thanks for watching!
#Cannabis2025 #LegalizationNews #CannabisLegality #USCannabisLaws #CannabisAdvocacy #FutureOfCannabis #CannabisCommunity #LegalizeCannabis #CannabisReform #CannabisInsights
I dont think people realize just how much corporate hates them.
Weed and beer shouldn’t be “regulated” as hard as it is until coke and heroin don’t exist on our streets.
I’m for legalization but democrats just use it as a tool for votes and then continue to laugh and destroy America.
Goverment has this wierd greed an hate. An fear new industries, the big pharma loses out big. An RFK needs to get Trump to legalize
I’m still waiting for the legalization for shrooms.
Talk to Tom: https://bit.ly/m/collateral-base
Trump is a fkn embarrassing blunder. Heroin and cannabis are the same. WTF!!!!!
Well they just need to hurry up and get it legal. It’s sad about all these kids getting tainted batches of thca and etc with very harmful chemicals.
Outright insanity that consuming a plant with relatively no post processing/enhancements can get you thrown in prison in 2025.
Definitely a stunt to get votes. T.D.S. IS STRONG IN YOU. Democrats just use it as a ploy to get votes and the say just kidding. You all fall for it everytime.
Too much crime make it illegal agsin…
In my honest opinion they won’t do anything for cannabis on a nationwide level because trump is back in office and politicians in general only care about money and not about cannabis. They should at least get taken off the schedule completely or put cannabis in a better category that has medical benefits because cbd is the actual medicinal part of the cannabis plant and hemp is one of the best plants on the planet. It’s all about money with the politicians, big alcohol, big tobacco, big pharma is in the way of full-on cannabis legalization as well because those corporation’s pay off the politicians to keep cannabis illegal on the federal level. The corporations and politicians want people drinking alcohol and taking their pills instead of cannabis and other natural medicines. My advice is to keep fighting for the local and state levels. Cannabis won’t be fully nationwide legal until maybe the next president will be in office and that will all depend on the candidate. I hope that someday they remove the old and very outdated controlled substances act and put in a natural medicines and safer drugs list which would be way better. This was a good and informed video and take care and keep up the good work @CannabisLegalizationNews.
Our government is a fkn joke even trump won’t fix it. But he will let alcohol still exist as legal. Why?
The 70s killed America. The boomers have done nothing but treat every generation after them like children that can’t make decisions for themselves. All while robbing the working class blind.
What’s crazy is they use the opioid plant in medication which they use to make a schedule 1 in the streets . So they make something that they give for pain as long as it’s in a medication it’s ok to take opioids . Most ppl they prescribe them to get addiction issues or are on the medication for way too long . I just think it’s funny how the government just wants money out of everything and it really has nothing to do with the drug itself and the harm it causes . So the government is crooked as we all know .
Thanks so
Much for be 🎯☝️🌱lawyer in cannabis market., Tom The Miracle is coming 2025 his promise Safe Banking and something Bigger🌱🎯✍️⚖️👍🏽
I have a cdl and if it gets moved to class 3 if I get a medical card would my job be safe ??????
CANNABIS BELONGS TO JEHOVAH GOD 👁️👁️
SOVEREIGNTY IS MORE THAN GOLD GROWS FREE TRILLION X TRILLION THAT PLANT BELONGS TO JEHOVAH
GROWS ON THE EARTH
GOVERNMENT TURNING IT INTO MONEY MONEY IS EVIL
EVIL SOVIERENTY
OUR FATHER IN THE HEAVENS JEHOVAH BE THY NAME THY KINGDOM COME
DANIEL 2:44
JW LIBRARY
LUKE 20:25
You can get legal weed that’s no different than dispensary weed by purchasing THCa flower from online suppliers like baysmokes.
Democrats said they would make it legal, but it was Trump who made that legal, and i can order through the mail no problem
democrats…keep crying in pronouns…TRUMP will legalize it
In texas we are dealing with senate bill 3, total ban on THC, it’s some bs lol
I couldn’t care less if cannabis in its most potent form ever becomes legal. HOWEVER, CBD is a great alternative to opioids and benzodiazepine. Because of the federal laws on cannabis, CBD is not regulated and therefore the thc levels are not verifiable. This puts people who don’t use marijuana, but need CBD for pain or anxiety at risk of failing drug tests.
It’s no wonder there are so many opiate and benzodiazepine addicts in this country!
Any other useful option is still federally illegal.
You can have a prescription for Percocet, be high as a kite, crash a company car, and not worry about loosing your job. BUT take CBD that has 0.3 thc and you fail the drug tests and loose your job.
Tell me how this makes sense?
The FDA isn’t going to allow cannabis legal bc most users smoke it. Therefore, creating an issue with lung cancer statistics & such. Does anyone not see that?
better yo stay illegal. big corps just want to monopolize the weed industry and milk it for every penny they can get. i rather stay with my guys before i give my money to a greedy corporation.
i really don’t trust the fed!
Trump is a good president And yes there is other stuff besides cannabis To deal with as well and in his migrants out of america is the best thing to do , right And legalize cannabis.They need to as well buthey think other stuff is more important I guess
What did I say a few months ago? DEA is bullshit, prohibition is bullshit, the change isn’t happening is it? The can is getting kicked down the road, some more. Tom, how old were you in 1993? The first year that High Times and NORML held the cannabis cup in Amsterdam there were only 50 people in attendance as judges, and I was one of those judges. I’ve been smoking pot since 1972 Tom. How old were you in 1972? This bullshit lie has been going on far too long, and it’s never going to end as long as people continue to play the bullshit language games. I’m sick and fucking tired of the lies and bullshit. How about inviting me to your podcast? Let’s cut through the bullshit for a half hour or two? How bout it Tom?
The big cannabis corps are likely lobbying on the federal to keep it illegal, this way they can get their hold on the markets and when they are ready feds will deschedule. Fake ass wanna be capitalism.
If they legalized cannabis it could fund a lot of social programs, freeing up money for the government to do their job!
Need to legalize it and put it in the liquor store
Summary
The Mohawk religious traditions encompass the sacred use of a diverse array of medicines—including dream fish, Colorado River toad, cane toad, yopo, vilca, iboga, Erythroxylum coca, peyote, San Pedro, kratom, Ayahuasca vines, cannabis, hemp, magic mushrooms, and Salvia divinorum—whose ceremonial roles are deeply rooted in Indigenous biocultural heritage . Despite First Amendment protections and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994, which explicitly safeguard peyote use in Native ceremonies , Employment Division v. Smith (1990) held that neutral, generally applicable drug laws need not exempt religious practices , prompting Congress to enact the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to restore strict scrutiny for burdens on religious exercise . Yet, the ongoing War on Drugs has devastated ecosystems through chemical eradication, deforestation, and toxic waste—threatening pollinators, wildlife, and microbial communities , , —and has disproportionately incarcerated Indigenous peoples, undermining tribal sovereignty and food sovereignty , . This banner calls for the full legalization of Mohawk religious practices and a restoration of food sovereignty to halt constitutional violations and protect human, animal, and environmental health.
Sacred Medicines in Mohawk Ceremonies
Mohawk ceremonial life incorporates a wide spectrum of entheogens—from amphibian secretions like those of the Colorado River toad to plant medicines such as peyote and San Pedro cactus—that facilitate communal prayer, healing, and connection to ancestral knowledge . These medicines embody an “entourage effect,” where alkaloids (e.g., mescaline, psilocybin, DMT), terpenes, flavonoids, polyphenols, and symbiotic microbial life work synergistically to support physical, mental, and spiritual well-being . Their stewardship is inseparable from Mohawk concepts of food sovereignty: the right to cultivate, harvest, and share traditional medicines as integral components of cultural identity and ecological balance .
Constitutional Protections & Unconstitutional Targeting
First Amendment & Peyote Exemption
The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment prohibits laws “specifically aimed” at religious practices, yet neutral statutes regulating controlled substances may incidentally burden religious sacraments .
American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) Amendments of 1994
Congress amended AIRFA in 1994 to codify an exemption for the “traditional use of peyote by Indians for religious purposes,” thereby legally shielding Native practitioners from federal prosecution .
Employment Division v. Smith (1990)
In Smith, the Supreme Court ruled that neutral, generally applicable drug laws need not grant religious exemptions, even when they infringe sincere religious conduct, leading to the denial of unemployment benefits for peyote use in Native ceremonies .
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993
Responding to Smith, RFRA restored the “compelling interest” test and required any substantial burden on religious exercise to be the least restrictive means to further a compelling governmental interest, thereby re-elevating judicial protection for sacred practices .
Environmental & Biological Costs of Prohibition
Chemical Eradication & Deforestation
Aerial fumigation of coca and other illicit crops with herbicides like glyphosate has destroyed vast tracts of forest, contaminated soil and waterways, and displaced both people and wildlife in South America . These eradication campaigns fuel cycles of deforestation as displaced farmers clear new forest plots, accelerating biodiversity loss .
Toxic Waste & Water Pollution
Illegal drug manufacture generates unregulated chemical waste—acidic solvents, heavy metals, and by-products—routinely dumped into rivers and soils, leading to aquatic die-offs and ecosystem degradation from Colombia’s rainforests to European waterways .
Impacts on Pollinators
The War on Drugs’ collateral use of pesticides and eradication chemicals contributes to global pollinator declines by exposing bees and other insects to neurotoxic substances, impairing navigation, foraging, and immune function .
Microbial Community Disruption
Pharmaceutical and agrochemical pollutants undermine soil and aquatic microbiomes, eroding the foundation of ecological resilience and nutrient cycling essential for plant, animal, and human health .
Human & Community Toll
Over-Incarceration of Indigenous Peoples
U.S. drug laws have fueled mass incarceration, with Native Americans incarcerated at over four times the rate of whites in many jurisdictions, exacerbating community trauma and social inequities .
Tribal Sovereignty Violations
Federal raids on hemp fields—such as the 2000 Pine Ridge Reservation destruction of Alex White Plume’s crop—demonstrate how prohibition undermines tribal self-determination over food and medicine cultivation .
Public Health Crises
Incarceration without adequate treatment for substance use disorders has led to skyrocketing overdose deaths in custody and post-release, disproportionately affecting Indigenous individuals and perpetuating cycles of harm .
Call to Action Banner
Text for a Banner Design:
LEGALIZE MOHAWK SACRED MEDICINES DEFEND RELIGIOUS & FOOD SOVEREIGNTY END UNCONSTITUTIONAL TARGETING PROTECT HUMAN LIVES, POLLINATORS & MICROBES
Key Messaging:
Affirm the First Amendment & AIRFA protections for Indigenous sacraments.
Expose how Smith and ongoing prohibition violate Mohawk religious freedom.
Highlight the environmental devastation—chemical eradication, deforestation, pollution.
Demand justice for over-incarcerated Indigenous peoples and restoration of tribal sovereignty over traditional medicines and food systems.
This banner unites constitutional, ecological, and human rights arguments to call for immediate legalization and protection of Mohawk Indigenous religious practices and food sovereignty.
The reason can be boiled down to one word. REPUBLICANS, that’s why.
better yo stay illegal. big corps just want to monopolize the weed industry and milk it for every penny they can get. i rather stay with my guys before i give my money to a greedy corporation.
The same folks who are flooding the nation with fentanyl won’t let us have access to cannabis. If only we could unite enough to vote third party and wake up to the reality of our uniparty, military industrial, intelligentsia overlord situation. But I’ll probably disappear for mentioning it. It was nice knowing you
You’re 100% confused! The DEA is presently talking about rescheduling marijuana! And, Trump is onboard with the DEA! It’s no longer an opinion based requirement! They have been researching marijuana’s medical value! Everyone is finally seeing the light!
Yeah that’s what US people here in Pennsylvania we’re trying to do put ended up getting taken across by big medical systems and their researchers I guess you could say but I think the only way is that the state controls what is grown in the state having the right license certified people to run these institutions but everybody was worried about the shackles
Why are we still waiting ? REALLY ? I think the future of the entire country is on the line here. The last administration was packing the courts with FREEKIN COMMUNISTS ! Any attempt to return this country around is actively being fought against by COMMUNISTS in the government ! The future of the country is VASTLY MORE IMPORTANT than weed !
Be patient, I surely want my damm country back before any grass goes legal !
No one talks about how weed moving to schedule 3 would work in an employment setting (in a state like colorado)
I choked on my coffee when you said consumption lounge. You have already done it in Colorado. Canada has done it long ago. It has medical uses, my wife has a prescription for Nabilone. What it’s all about is where is the money going to go. It has to go to the right place and the right people. it seems that what is important about cannabis is the flavors and smells as opposed to the narcotic effects. Like booze, it’s all about the taste. It’s not a huge industry anyway. You can grow your own seeds and clones, make your own hash, take a bath in it if you want. One you legalize it, it;s appeal will decrease.
neither party cares about the people
There was no infrastructure to process hemp after legalization. Farmers stopped growing it. Now they only grow it to cook down and sell it under legal loopholes.
Looks like the schedule 1 classification is being used to utilize Civil Asset Forfeiture when time$ right
😅😅😅😅
Very nice
As a healthcare worker, it disgusts me that we factually know the prevalence of the endocannabinoid system on our planet, society acknowledges that it was registered as a Schedule One -wrongly- and yet, my state??? “You smoke pot you’re as bad as people that un@live babies for Sunday afternoon kicks”…
I just spent 15 days in Parker county jail over a vape, that I use to treat flashbacks from. PTSD directly associated with injuries sustained as a 20 year Paramedic… 😪
Lsd has medical use. Microdosing has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of many mental illness condition. Im ok with setting cannibis next to herion and saying, "look at how ridiculous this is." But maybe leave lsd or cylocybin out of it.
Any officer that enforces any cannabis laws is just a douche bag.
We are still Waiting here in Danmark since 1961 🤬 but Eu & Fn are scoring Big paýouts from Big Pharma industries, by their lobbyists, pepoel are dying by Big Pharma medicine, no one has never diéd by cannabis, this Call for an world wide legalization now 2025 🇩🇰
Wait, are you saying cannabis is illegal? First, I heard about this 😵💫