In another sign that marijuana reform may be taking a back seat amid competing political priorities during the second Trump administration, the Congressional Cannabis Caucus has yet to have a single meeting this legislative session, one of its members tells Marijuana Moment.

Asked about the status of the caucus, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the four bipartisan co-chairs of the group, said it hasn’t convened at this point—even as several cannabis bills have been filed this Congress, including those originating from group members.

“The Cannabis Caucus still hasn’t met yet?” Marijuana Moment asked.

“Nope,” Omar said, while also stating that she’s yet to review provisions of an agriculture spending bill that would ban consumable hemp products containing any quantifiable amount of THC.

A spokesperson for the other Democratic co-chair of the caucus, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), did clarify that while the group itself hasn’t met, staffers for the bipartisan lawmakers have been in touch and they expect a formal meeting of the caucus “will happen” after a key budget bill that’s been occupying much of Congress’s time recently is “processed.”

Marijuana Moment also reached out to the offices of Omar and the two Republican caucus co-chairs—Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Brian Mast (R-FL)—for additional comment on the status of the group and future plans for meetings, but representatives did not respond by the time of publication.

While there are various competing priorities at the time, including key appropriations legislation, it’s struck some advocates as odd that the caucus hasn’t at least held an initial meeting—especially considering that marijuana and hemp issues have been raised this session, including the filing of reform bills such as one from Joyce to end federal prohibition and let states decide on the issue.

Omar and Titus are the newest co-chairs of the Cannabis Caucus, replacing former Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA). In a sense, that makes it all the more notable that the coalition wouldn’t have had an introductory meeting on a bipartisan basis to align on priorities for the 119th Congress, which is now a quarter over.

That said, both Democratic leaders separately talked about the group’s legislative agenda for marijuana reform during a Last Prisoner Project (LPP) event in April.

Beyond filing a bill together—which would remove a restriction that’s prevented the White House drug czar from advocating for the legalization of marijuana or other Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—Omar and Titus previewed bipartisan legislation to end federal prohibition in legal states and free up the industry to access banking services.

To that end, Joyce recently reintroduced a bill titled the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, which would end federal marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized it, while providing for a basic federal regulatory framework for cannabis products.

At the administrative level, there’s increased pressure for President Donald Trump to independently act on reform—including a call for rescheduling and banking access from top athletes and celebrities such as Mike Tyson who are imploring the president to go further than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, Trump’s first pick for attorney general in the current administration, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), recently reiterated his own support for rescheduling cannabis—suggesting in an interview with a Florida Republican lawmaker that the GOP could win more of the youth vote by embracing marijuana reform.

On marijuana rescheduling, the president did endorse the policy change on the campaign trail. But he’s been publicly silent on the issue since taking office. Gaetz said last month that Trump’s endorsement of a Schedule III reclassification was essentially an attempt to shore up support among young voters rather than a sincere reflection of his personal views about cannabis.

A survey conducted by a GOP pollster affiliated with Trump that was released in April found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms, including rescheduling. And, notably, they’re even more supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal interference compared to the average voter.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

Separately, Trump picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to run DOJ, and the Senate confirmed that choice. During her confirmation hearings, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana policy issues. And as state attorney general, she opposed efforts to legalize medical cannabis.

Adding to the uncertainty around the fate of the rescheduling proposal, Trump’s nominee to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.

During an in-person hearing before the Judiciary Committee in April, Cole said examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first priorities” if he was confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.

DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled. The matter sat without action before an acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway drug” and linked its use to psychosis. Maltz has since left the position.

Amid the stalled marijuana rescheduling process that’s carried over from the last presidential administration, congressional researchers recently reiterated that lawmakers could enact the reform themselves with “greater speed and flexibility” if they so choose, while potentially avoiding judicial challenges.

The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. 

Mike Tyson Tells Trump To Reschedule Marijuana And Free Prisoners In Fox News Appearance

[PRESS RELEASE] – TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 30, 2025 – Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the U.S., announced that it filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (the registration statement) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 30, 2025, to register a base shelf prospectus. The company has no immediate plans to offer or sell any securities under this shelf registration.

The registration statement is expected to become effective upon its acceptance by the SEC. Once effective, the shelf registration allows the company to offer and sell securities, providing flexibility in its future financing opportunities. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The securities described in it may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

The company has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the registration of securities to which this communication relates.

You should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the company and any applicable offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

Alternatively, the company and any participant in any applicable offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling toll-free 1-844-878-5438.

Cannabis consumers in California and Maryland must begin paying higher taxes for state-licensed cannabis products.

Cannabis-specific tax hikes took effect today in both states. In California, excise taxes on commercially available cannabis products increased from 15 percent to 19 percent. In Maryland, the special sales tax on retail marijuana purchases rose from 9 percent to 12 percent.

Maryland lawmakers passed budget legislation earlier this year raising the sales tax. NORML encouraged lawmakers and the Moore’s administration to reject the tax hike, opining: “Marylanders already pay a premium tax on retail cannabis products. Raising these taxes even higher will undoubtedly drive prices out of reach for some consumers — thereby undermining the primary goal of legalization, which is to provide adults with safe, affordable, above-ground access to lab-tested products of known purity, potency, and quality. … This proposed tax increase will also hurt state-licensed businesses, many of which have already invested millions of dollars in up-front costs and are still struggling to break even.”

California lawmakers enacted legislation in 2022 requiring administrators to modify the state’s cannabis excise tax. In recent months, California NORML coordinated legislative efforts to roll back the tax increase — arguing that cannabis is already heavily over-taxed in California relative to comparable products like beer, wine, and tobacco. Last month, members of the state assembly voted 74 to zero in favor of AB 564, which postpones the tax hike until 2030. However, Senate lawmakers have not yet taken action on the bill and efforts to incorporate its language into the state’s budget bill were unsuccessful.

Lawmakers in two additional states — Minnesota and Maine — also approved legislation this year increasing taxes on state-legal cannabis products. Additional efforts to raise marijuana-related taxes are pending in Michigan and New Jersey. In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called on lawmakers to double the state’s cannabis sales tax rate, but legislators rejected his proposal.

NORML has consistently lobbied against proposed cannabis tax hikes, arguing that increasing taxes unduly burdens both consumers and licensed retailers. NORML has also called for home-cultivation rights so that consumers and patients have a legal alternative to the retail market.

“Cannabis consumers are not ATMs,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Lawmakers’ efforts to balance their budgets on the backs of consumers are short-sighted and doomed to fail. As lawmakers continue to push marijuana prices artificially higher, many consumers will exit the legal market — resulting in lower overall tax revenue and weakening the legal, regulated marketplace.”

Additional information is available from NORML’s Take Action Center.