"The next phase of cannabis policy will not be decided by a single bill. It will be shaped by the political environment that determines whether any bill has a path."
By Jordan Isenstadt, National Cannabis Industry Association
The cannabis industry gravitates toward headline legislation — the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, rescheduling, federal reform — and asks the same question each cycle: is this the year something finally passes?
That framing misses how Washington actually works. Bills don't move on their own; the people who decide whether they move are determined by elections. The 2026 elections will shape committee chairs, party control, agency leadership, and state-level power — the forces that determine whether cannabis policy advances, stalls, or gets chipped away.
Federal reform gets the headlines, but cannabis policy is also defined daily through state decisions on implementation, enforcement, and in some cases market rollbacks. Prohibitionist groups like Smart Approaches to Marijuana understand this — they are active in elections, in statehouses, and in the broader policy conversation, not waiting on a single federal bill.
They are also shaping perception, a factor that often goes overlooked. Perception determines what is politically possible. Policymakers respond to narrative and to what they consider safe or risky to support. Cannabis has built real public support, but that doesn't automatically produce policy outcomes.
Progress on banking, taxation, or broader federal reform requires engaging the system that produces those outcomes: knowing who is running in 2026, what those candidates prioritize, and where cannabis fits among their concerns.
The industry is no longer small. It includes state-regulated operators, hemp and cannabinoid businesses, and technology companies — a coalition whose reach is a genuine asset, though alignment across that coalition is harder at the exact moment it matters most.
"The next phase of cannabis policy will not be decided by a single bill. It will be shaped by the political environment that determines whether any bill has a path."
In Washington, outcomes aren't driven by what gets introduced — they are driven by who is in the room when decisions get made.
Jordan Isenstadt is a senior vice president at Marino PR and founder of the firm's cannabis practice. He has over a decade of experience in the industry and a background in government, including roles in the New York State Senate and executive chamber. He was recently appointed to the board of the National Cannabis Industry Association.
