EP. 4 - The [Cannabis] Empire Strikes Back

In this urgent return to KalikoVision , host Kaliko Castille breaks down the political plot twist shaking the cannabis world: Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. But is this really progress—or just another move in the Empire’s playbook? Joining Kaliko is longtime friend and fellow movement strategist Jason Ortiz (Last Prisoner Project) for a wide-ranging convo on what this means for the industry, the grassroots, and the communities most harmed by prohibition. They dissect the fine print—tax relief, CBD and Medicare, pharmaceutical influence—and ask the big question: did the Democrats just get outflanked on their own issue? With Star Wars analogies, policy clarity, and some hard-hitting truth about political power and missed chances, this episode is for anyone who cares about justice, not just headlines. The cannabis reform movement may be entering its Empire Strikes Back moment—but the Jedi are regrouping. Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Welcome to Jason Ortiz 2:19 - How are drugs classified? 4:20 - What does Schedule III mean for cannabis? 9:32 - Medicare x CBD 15:25 - How is the E.O. different then what Biden did? 18:28 - Did the Democrats gaslight cannabis advocates? 24:57 - Farm Bill was Republican legalization 25:45 - Will corruption and crony capitalism kill legalization? 33:56 - What will the 2026 midterms mean for cannabis reform? 39:20 - Can the cannabis movement still coalesce? 44:05 - MSO’s need to fund continued momentum 46:25 - Justice by geography 50:30 - Wrap up

You can listen to EP. 4 - The [Cannabis] Empire Strikes Back online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

EP. 4 - The [Cannabis] Empire Strikes Back is an episode from KalikoVision by Kaliko Castille.

This episode is 00:54:13 long.

This episode was published on Dec 22, 2025.

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