The Issues

We’ve heard from journalists, regulators, and voters alike how challenging it is to find accurate, reliable information on cannabis as a result of the patchwork of laws across the country and globe.

This patchwork in the U.S. comes down to the fact that cannabis remains in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the strictest category, while dozens of states have ended cannabis prohibition. When President Joe Biden announced in October 2022 that he’d asked his administration to initiate a review of how cannabis is scheduled, he was referring to its placement in Schedule I.

This resource covers the critical areas where state and federal law collide as a result of this placement, from banking and IRS hurdles to cannabis on tribal lands. And, for essential context, there are timelines that will take you through the history of cannabis as medicine, for example, and the history of federal crackdowns.