In a historic first, Medicare is rolling out a pilot program that lets select seniors receive up to 500 dollars in hemp-based CBD products each year as part of their treatment plans. Louisville-based Cornbread Hemp has signed an exclusive agreement with Alliant Purchasing, making it the sole hemp supplier to 68,000 provider locations participating in the initiative. The program, enabled by a December 18, 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump directing expanded marijuana and CBD research, signals a dramatic shift in federal attitudes toward cannabis-derived therapies.

Backers say the initiative could help patients manage chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia with tightly regulated products containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. Yet the effort faces headwinds, including social stigma, a looming federal hemp ban slated for November and a lawsuit from anti-marijuana groups challenging the program’s legality. Read the full report at USA Today.