Trump assures that his administration is "considering" reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug
Far from being a surprising and unexpected stance on Trump's part, the truth is that the conservative leader has on several occasions expressed his support for this measure, and even publicly endorsed the reclassification during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump at the White House/ Jim Watson
President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration is "considering" reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, shortly after media The Washington Post reported that an executive order was expected to be signed instructing agencies to move forward as soon as possible with such a reclassification. "We are considering that. Because a lot of people want to see it, the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify. So we are looking at that very strongly," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the possibility.
The media outlet reported last week on the Trump administration's latest acloser to reclassification, citing several sources who said Trump discussed the measure with House Speaker Mike Johnson. If the measure is approved, the Republican leader would be giving continuity to the efforts initiated by the Democratic administration of former President Joe Biden, which in 2024 began the process to convert marijuana into a Schedule III substance, but did not conclude it.
Trump supported this measure in his presidential campaign
Far from being a surprising and unexpected stance on Trump's part, the truth is that the conservative leader has on several occasions expressed his support for this measure, and even publicly endorsed the reclassification during the 2024 presidential campaign, stating on some occasions that his administration could take this action. In mid-August, Trump stated that he would make a decision on reclassification in "the next few weeks," but so far it has not happened.
Despite such a stance, several Democratic leaders have criticized the Republican leader. One of these has been Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who accused Trump of trying to "gaslight" Americans into "believing he just made pot legal" by facilitating reclassification. "He has not decriminalized cannabis or expunged the records of black and Latino Americans stuck in prison for minor drug offenses. This is just an attempt to boost his pathetic approval ratings," Wyden wrote on his X account.
Details on the reclassification
Several experts have noted that while the reclassification is very different from a total removal of marijuana from the schedules of controlled substances, the move would reduce barriers to research and would be a major boost to the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.
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