Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), spoke about the initiative at the signing ceremony, crediting Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for \u201cpushing for change\u201d and \u201crelentlessly\u201d pursuing an agenda rooted in a \u201cdeep passion for research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oz said Trump called him \u201cfrequently\u201d to discuss the potential benefits of CBD after hearing from friends who \u201cgot relief\u201d from the cannabinoid product, and per his direction, CMS has created \u201ca new model\u201d and taken \u201cadditional actions to give seniors access to cannabinoids.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are CBDs\u2014they\u2019re not addictive\u2014which many are already using to manage pain,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s some clinical evidence that showing that CBDs provide relief from common conditions that affect Americans, including cancer symptoms and chronic pain and a slew of other problems that affect disproportionately seniors and our veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are relatively few specific details about the new model, however, and the CMS website hasn\u2019t yet posted information about the rollout or who would specifically qualify. That said, Oz explained that the policy change will \u201callow millions of Americans on Medicare to become eligible to receive CBD as early as April of next year\u2014and at no charge if their doctors recommend them.\u201d<\/p>\n
One outstanding question concerns coverage eligibility. As described, it would affect those 65 and older who qualify for Medicare, but the specific qualifying conditions weren\u2019t detailed. There was repeated mention of chronic pain, specifically related to cancer, but it\u2019s possible the CBD eligibility criteria includes additional conditions.<\/p>\n
Marijuana Moment reached out to CMS for additional clarity about the plan, but representatives did not respond by the time of publication.<\/p>\n
At the Oval Office event, Oz said \u201csometimes these decisions are difficult,\u201d and that while other presidents have \u201cwhiffed on this issue\u201d because it\u2019s \u201ctough,\u201d this administration is \u201cpassionate about making it clear that this patchwork that we\u2019re working within now, the laws and regulations, they\u2019re leaving patients and doctors without adequate guidance on the safeguards of how to use these products, even though they\u2019re still being used.\u201d<\/p>\n
The administrator added that Medicare Advantage insurers CMS has contacted are \u201calso agreeing to consider CBD to be used for the 34 million Americans that they cover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can hear my voice and you\u2019re over 65, you should pay attention to this executive order, because it\u2019s going to touch your life,\u201d Oz said. \u201cAgain, this all becomes active after the first quarter of next year. These CBD products must first meet local and state quality and safety standards. They must come from legitimate sources. They must abide by other regulations of those states with these boxes checked.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said patients can be reimbursed for up to $500 worth of hemp-derived cannabinoid products per year, and CMS will be collecting data on the patient outcomes and making the data publicly available to analyze.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it shows promise, we will expand access to these products to even more conditions amongst Medicare [and] Medicaid beneficiaries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Oz also gave kudos to Howard Kessler, founder of The Commonwealth Project, which produced a video about the benefits of cannabidiol for seniors that Trump shared<\/a> on Truth Social earlier this year and who apparently has pressed the president to enact reform to expand cannabis access.<\/p>\n One company that says it will be participating in the CBD pilot program is Charlotte\u2019s Web, which has long advocated for reform and focused on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for people with severe epilepsy.<\/p>\n CEO Bill Morachnick said in a press release that the business is \u201cproud\u201d to \u201cbring trusted CBD options to underserved seniors battling cancer\u201d through the initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cCharlotte\u2019s Web was founded to help Charlotte Figi, whose medically challenging life became a CBD success story,\u201d he said. \u201cHer journey inspired research, opened doors to access, and changed perceptions about the therapeutic benefits of CBD around the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Company made a promise to Charlotte, her mother Paige, and the millions who followed her: to set the standard for the entire industry by leading with quality, consistency, and science,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cAs the CBD market leader and a trusted partner throughout the country among healthcare practitioners, this initiative marks a historic step forward, uniquely positioning Charlotte\u2019s Web to expand access to safe, non-intoxicating hemp CBD products through existing pathways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis initiative represents a blueprint for patient-centered CBD healthcare\u2014one that advances alongside our medical channel expansion and deepening clinical research. The potential of the hemp plant is still being furthered, and studies like the Phase 2 FDA clinical trials investigating hemp-based therapies for autism spectrum disorder at our affiliated company, DeFloria, are critical to making its therapeutic promise even more accessible for health insurance-covered care. Our work through this program and our ongoing research demonstrate how rigorous science and compassionate care can converge to serve patients who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis pilot program would inform potential expansion into other patient populations to use CBD to support sleep, anxiety, pain, and general wellness as identified in the Federal Register,\u201d the company said, referencing a recent notice from CMS about its existing plans to authorize health insurance coverage for CBD under certain Medicare programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n While CMS implemented an earlier 2026 final rule in April\u00a0specifically stipulating that marijuana, as well as CBD that can be derived from federally legal hemp, are ineligible<\/a> for coverage under its Medicare Advantage program and other services, the agency has since revised that policy.<\/p>\n The Commonwealth Project estimates that 8,000-12,000 patients will participate in the program, with projections of up to $64 billion in \u201cpotential annual savings through improved symptom management and reduced reliance on certain high-cost interventions,\u201d according to information in a press pitch on behalf of Charlotte\u2019s Web.<\/p>\n While Oz said April 2026 is when eligible patients will be able to take advantage of the policy change, the hemp stakeholders\u2019 press pitch said the pilot program itself is set to launch in January.<\/p>\n Marcel Bonn-Miller, chief scientific officer at Charlotte\u2019s Web, said \u201cscientific rigor underpins every aspect of this program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith more than a decade of consumer use and extensive safety studies, Charlotte\u2019s Web integrates real-world evidence, patient-reported outcomes, and clinical insights into its R&D process to ensure products are safe and effective,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, following the White House announcement last week, Oz spoke with NewsNation about the policy change, responding to a question about how the broader marijuana rescheduling decision squares with the Trump administration\u2019s aggressive efforts to stymie the flow of other illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think they fit hand in hand,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is really about researching\u2014specifically CBD, which is hemp-derived endocannabinoids [sic]\u2014are actually worthy of Americans using them,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to do some of this work, especially with medical marijuana. And this is not about legalization of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no legalization language at all,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s about rescheduling this class of product so that it can be researched more readily.\u201d<\/p>\n \n The idea that marijuana has no medical value, as its currently defined as a Schedule I drug, is \u201cjust patently wrong for marijuana,\u201d he said, noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain cannabis-based drugs for conditions such as epilepsy \u201cthat work quite nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat belief that it should be Schedule I is just an incorrect place to put it,\u201d he said. \u201cSchedule III seemed to make sense to the president. He argued that it allows us to do the research more readily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re finding a way to allow Medicare beneficiaries to get access to some of these products. And so, within Medicare, we have the ability, for the first time ever\u2014and we delivered on this promise to the president today\u2014to allow doctors to recommend hemp-derived CBD for patients who have cancer, for example, and have a lot of pain from that.\u201d<\/p>\n The administrator said surveys show a majority of seniors who take CBD for pain management find it beneficial, and the White House wants to \u201cmake it easier for patients to access this\u201d and allow them to access the cannabinoid at \u201cno charge\u201d through the federal health insurance program.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it works well, we\u2019re going to get a lot of data\u2014and we\u2019ll know a ton more about whether this truly makes a difference for the American people,\u201d Oz said. \u201cBut again, I want to emphasize this: I don\u2019t like marijuana smell walking down the streets. The president doesn\u2019t either.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump and Kennedy \u201cdon\u2019t drink, so they definitely don\u2019t smoke marijuana. So this is not about legalizing these products,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In recent years, Dr. Oz has encouraged audiences to be open to therapeutic cannabis and advocated for sweeping policy changes around the drug.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ought to completely change our policy on marijuana. It absolutely works,\u201d he said in a 2020 interview, calling cannabis \u201cone of the most underused tools in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year, he wrote in a syndicated health column that there\u2019s evidence cannabinoids can curb seizures, alleviate nausea associated with cancer treatment and potentially help manage pain<\/a>\u2014especially in older people.<\/p>\n Oz also said in 2020 that he believes that, particularly for seniors, marijuana for pain represents a \u201csafer solution than, for example, narcotics in many cases.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.<\/p>\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/312e309fe9d097f0a3fcad8604d9ba17.jpg\")
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