What is the latest in cannabis rescheduling? In the latest episode of the Trade To Black podcast, hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell welcome back Eric Berlin, a leading cannabis attorney from Dentons. Berlin provides an in-depth update on the ongoing ALJ Hearing for cannabis rescheduling and further explains on what lies ahead for the cannabis industry. Plus Trent Woloveck, Chief Strategy Officer at Jushi Holdings (OTC: JUSHF), joins us to provide insights into the hemp industry and what changes that could be on the horizon.
Cannabis attorney Eric Berlin delivers a fact-driven legal update on the current status of the DEA’s Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing on cannabis rescheduling. After the Trump administration entered office, the hearing was paused and has remained in limbo. Berlin explained that a Department of Justice (DOJ) status report confirms no progress has been made, with the appeal still pending with the acting DEA administrator. While this sounds like stagnation, Berlin noted this was expected during a presidential transition and emphasized that other legal pathways exist for the administration to reschedule cannabis without a formal hearing.
He also examines the Trump administration’s decision to exclude marijuana rescheduling from its list of top drug policy priorities, discussing the potential impact on cannabis reform and the future of cannabis stocks. Eric shares his perspective on whether reform might take place later this year. Additionally we’ll discuss the progression of adult-use cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania and deliver the latest updates on cannabis reform efforts out of Washington, D.C., under the Trump administration.
Trent Wolovec, Chief Strategy Officer of Jushi Holdings, joined the conversation with a stark on-the-ground look at America’s unregulated THC marketplace. Wolovec described visiting dozens of hemp and smoke shops in Pennsylvania and Virginia, purchasing products labeled “hemp” that consistently tested above legal THC limits—often with synthetic cannabinoids like HHC and THCP.
Politically, Wolovec is optimistic about legalization in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Virginia’s likely gubernatorial race will be between Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Sears. Spanberger as cannabis-friendly and leading comfortably in early polls. In Pennsylvania, he confirmed that cannabis legalization is gaining traction and may be tied to broader negotiations around skill-based gaming machines. This and more in our Friday episode.
