With over 55 million cannabis fans in America, 2025 was a year of big wins and stinging losses. From headway in the hash world and LA’s indoor farms to High Times’ resurgence and landmark findings in the scientific world, the ganja news came like a firehose in 2025, and here’s a distillation of the top items.
Schedule III, finally
Cannabis supporters spent much of 2025 waiting for the federal government to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I (the “most dangerous” list) to Schedule III (think: Tylenol with codeine). That process finally began on December 18, when President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to complete the rescheduling. It’s not legalization, but it’s something.
Editor’s note: The shift to Schedule III is a major federal signal, but it’s not legalization, and the details matter. Before anyone spikes the football, read David Downs’ reporting on the order and its strings attached: Trump Reschedules Marijuana—but Wait, There’s a Catch, plus Javier Hasse’s practical explainer: Cannabis Rescheduling: Questions Answered. We’re also publishing serious concerns: Bill Levers argues cannabis should be treated as a wellness/nutraceutical category in Cannabis is a Nutraceutical, Not a Pharmaceutical, while Rolando García reports on critics who believe Schedule III could backfire in “It’s a Trap”: Why Schedule III Could Be Worse Than Standing Still.
High Times re-lit
2025 was the year that RAW Rolling Papers creator Josh Kesselman turned the lights back on at the venerable counterculture institution, High Times.
Helmed by Javier Hasse, High Times released a 50th anniversary special edition featuring archival work from icons such as Hunter S. Thompson and interviews with legends like Bob Marley, as well as a slew of fresh content from around the globe.
Plus, they restarted their Cannabis Cups.
Hemp recriminalization
The year 2025 goes down in U.S. history books as a setback for “intoxicating” hemp. Congress ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — 43 days — with a bill that also re-criminalized cannabis seeds and pretty much any hemp product that could get you high. Unless it’s actual rope, the government considers it dope once again.
Zangbanger’s moment to shine
Hype LA brand Wizard Trees won the best-of-the-best Zalympix Winner’s Flight competition’s Industry Award on November 15 with Zangbanger (Zangria x Sherbanger 22).
The unity of Zkittlez, GSC, Sherbet, and (Sour x Biker Kush) tests at 4.5-5% terpenes, which is 8-10 times the national average. The strain was in development for several years, and Wizard Trees’ Scott Lane told us there’ll be plenty of it in 2026.
“I think this is going to be our main staple for a while,” Lane says.
WizardTrees.com relaunched on December 16, with a new app rolling out shortly after. Look out for Zangbanger’s successor: Tidebanger.
The return of orange terps
The Trop Cookies cross Super Boof won big in the 2025 Transbay Challenge Finals in California in May. So did LA Family Farm’s Orange Drip in the Zalympix Winner’s Flight. Furthermore, several more wins for Whitethorn Rose (California State Fair, California Leaf Bowl) demonstrated the revived interest in citrus terps after a decade out of fashion.
Hash culture gains momentum
Cannabis concentrates like rosin, ice water hash, and live resin shot up in 2025 as an alternative means of consumption, matching gains only seen by pre-rolls. Just take a look at the growth of infused pre-rolls this year. Live rosin pens made new inroads in more markets, and we spotted dabs in Thailand this summer.
“This last year has been the year of evolution and adoption of concentrates — 100 percent,” says Lance Lambert, who travels the world as the chief marketing officer for industry-leading Grove Bags.
Alcohol use collapses
This year, Gallup found that alcohol use hit a low not seen since 1939. Only 54% of Americans drink — a near-historic low. Health concerns, the rise of non-alcoholic alternatives including cannabis, and changing cultural norms — especially among the young and middle-aged — have rocked Wine Country, bars, and clubs. The option to puff herb may reduce drinking by 25%, one study found.
New York ramps up
New York’s rocky, three-year-long legal weed debut evened out a bit with over 464 stores as of September, and new revenue milestones.
Its new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is the first mayor to say he bought herb at one such legal store. Annual sales crossed $1 billion in September.
Cannabis states’ legal setbacks
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and cannabis activists got caught slackin’. In 2025, Ohio rolled back some of its voter-approved legalization. Efforts are underway by opposers in Maine and Massachusetts to put repeal on their 2026 ballots. Thailand backed away from its wide-open adult-use regime.
Smokers need to rally around groups like NORML, Marijuana Policy Project, and Americans for Safe Access to push back in 2026.
“It means getting involved with your time, and financially, and acknowledging that this fight is not over,” says Paul Armentano, Deputy Director for NORML.
Mary Jane Berlin blooms
Germany emerged as a legal cannabis epicenter with Mary Jane Berlin selling 65,000 tickets in June. Germany is the leader of the European Union, with a population of 82 million and the fourth-largest GDP in the world. German legalization eclipsed action in the Netherlands and Spain.
“Mary Jane was the biggest show, and the biggest news over the last year,” says Lambert.
South Park’s pot farm goes bust
The Colorado creators captured the zeitgeist of distressed U.S. cannabis companies facing new headwinds. In the series, Stan’s dad, Randy, went broke, got addicted to ketamine and ChatGPT, and had to sell off Tegridy Farms — a watershed moment concluding a seven-year-long arc. Trey Parker and Matt Stone again helped define the sentiment in the country.
“Things are really uncertain in the U.S. currently,” says Lambert. “International — not domestic — is where the exponential [cannabis] growth is occurring.”
2025 science wins
Studies in Nature Medicine and Frontiers of Neuroscience found that cannabis could help with lower back pain, and sometimes eliminate seizures.
The Prevention Research Center found that Prop 64 did not raise adult cannabis use rates.
And a hash researcher calculated the static electric charge of a trichome head for the first time. It’s 20 picocoulombs — so now we know!
That’s a wrap
As we stub out 2025 and light up 2026, the cannabis industry stands at a crossroads. While challenges like hemp recriminalization and state-level rollbacks remind us that progress isn’t linear, the explosive growth in Germany, New York’s billion-dollar milestone, and the mainstreaming of hash culture show that the green rush is far from over.
Whether you’re team Zangbanger or still waiting on Schedule III, one thing’s clear: The conversation around cannabis has evolved from “if” to “how” — and that’s a win worth celebrating.
Did we miss a beat? Share this story and tag us on social with your top news of 2025 inclusion.
