Harrison Wise is Founder and Publisher of The Bluntness and an executive advisor, entrepreneur and former agency CEO with 25+ years of experience spanning business strategy, GTM, marketing, communications, media and emerging industries.
This article explains what’s happening, who’s driving it, and why it matters far beyond cannabis culture. We will also connect these state fights to the broader national policy context, including federal rescheduling efforts.
President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to begin reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The move formally recognizes cannabis’ medical value and sets the stage for expanded research and potential tax relief for operators. Industry leaders broadly applaud the decision as historic, while cautioning that rescheduling is a foundation, not a finish line.
Congress is attempting to recriminalize most hemp products by redefining "hemp" in the federal spending package, threatening to wipe out 90–95% of a thriving $28+ billion industry. This isn't consumer protection; it's economic sabotage that would devastate farmers, destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs, eliminate billions in tax revenue, and push demand underground. The solution already exists: national standards with age-gating, testing, labeling, and responsible placement. If you work in, buy from, or care about this industry, you have 48–72 hours to make your voice heard.
New York’s cannabis watchdog says Omnium Health let unlicensed operators hide under its license — a textbook case of “reverse licensing.” Regulators want Omnium’s processor and distributor licenses revoked and have ordered a retail recall tied to products made by unlicensed processors. Here’s what happened, who’s affected, and what retailers and consumers should do next
While 2024 set a new annual record of $4.4 billion in state cannabis taxes, California's decision to raise rates from 15% to 19% exposes the death spiral threatening legal markets nationwide
From Stonewall to dispensary laws, queer advocacy helped legitimize cannabis as medicine and ignited a broader movement for justice, health, and dignity. Their impact is visible in today’s ongoing progress toward cannabis access and LGBTQ+ rights.