*Editor’s note: this article was updated on 3/17/25 at 11:42 a.m. to correct information about when the CDC cannabis strategic plan was posted
With more public awareness around cannabis, local, state, and federal government agencies are working to update policy and guidance around the plant. This is especially true as more questions are raised about the long-term impacts of consumption. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quietly released its “Cannabis Strategic Plan” amid growing government concerns and shifting laws—but there are some positive notes, too.
The CDC decided to develop the plan after citing increased THC potency in cannabis products and a growing number of people using the plant. The agency outlined a number of actions to “foster a public health approach, improve messaging, and secure dedicated resources to address the health risks of cannabis.”
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There are five pillars to the CDC plan:
- Monitor trends
- Advance research
- Build state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) capacity
- Support health systems and healthcare providers
- Partner with public safety, schools, and community coalitions
- Improve public knowledge and awareness
Example activities include reviewing the efficacy of medical marijuana, addressing underage consumption, developing fact sheets on the benefits and harms of cannabis use, and understanding how local policies may affect medication prescribing. The CDC also hopes to expand government data collection systems for risk assessments associated with substance use.
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The agency is specifically interested in how cannabis may impact workers, pregnant women, infants and young children, adolescents, and other key demographic groups. CDC officials called out substance use disorder, occupational injury, car accidents, employment, and other social effects of consumption in its inquiry.
While most of the strategy centers around potential risks associated with cannabis, the agency does concede there are benefits as well in a number of its bullet points. Despite the dominant language around safety, the admission is a welcome sign, given the federal government’s prior reluctance to admit the plant has therapeutic value.
However, the feds have seemingly been tipping their proverbial toes in the water—especially as the recent rescheduling review indicated there is potential for medical marijuana use. Perhaps the CDC plan will add more evidence to the arguments in favor of reform.
