President Donald Trump’s move Thursday to sign an executive order easing federal restrictions on marijuana — and clearing the way for a Medicare pilot program covering CBD — caps a coordinated, yearlong push by the cannabis industry that combined traditional lobbying, sizable political donations, data-driven messaging and direct outreach to the president’s inner circle, industry insiders told CNBC.Despite long-standing GOP opposition to loosening drug laws — including a small wave of bills from lawmakers seeking to tighten rules after the executive order — industry advocates have claimed a victory. They see the order as a success in reframing marijuana not as a social issue, but as a pro-business policy, ultimately winning over a president famous for his sobriety.”I’ve never been inundated by so many people as I have about” reclassifying marijuana, Trump said during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office on Thursday.Three figures emerged as the primary architects of this policy shift, according to multiple insiders, including one CEO of a cannabis company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. The key players were Howard Kessler, a Palm Beach billionaire and longtime friend of the president; Kim Rivers, the CEO of cannabis giant Trulieve; and Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s longtime pollster, the people said.The billionaireU.S. President Donald Trump displays an executive order with Howard Kessler (R) that Trump signed in the Oval Office of the White House on December 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker | Getty ImagesKessler, known for pioneering affinity credit cards, has been in Trump’s orbit since at least 2005, attending Trump’s wedding to Melania Trump and appearing at Mar-a-Lago and state dinners. A leukemia survivor, Kessler began advocating for the medical benefits of cannabis for seniors in 2019, founding The Commonwealth Project to advance the cause. In September, Trump shared a Commonwealth Project video on Truth Social that said CBD coverage was “the most important senior health initiative of the century.”Other prominent members of the Trump administration noted Kessler’s influence on Thursday. During the signing ceremony, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “We wouldn’t be here today” without Kessler.”God bless you for being a pain in our sides,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joked to Kessler in the Oval Office. Oz added that Kessler had promised to finally stop calling the president about the issue once the order was signed.Kessler did not respond to a request for comment. The White House said Trump’s executive order would open up access for new treatments. “The presence of several leaders from law enforcement and veterans groups at the Oval Office signing is indicative of how President Trump continues to push the envelope to support our nation’s heroes,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.The industry CEOKim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest U.S. cann …
