US presidential candidate Donald Trump has given (somewhat) clear indication he’s backing the rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III.
In October 2022, US President Joe Biden announced an initiative involving the review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. Cannabis is currently listed as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), meaning among things it has no accepted medical use – but it does.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) subsequently recommended to the DEA marijuana should be rescheduled to Schedule III, which incorporates drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.
The DEA then opened a public feedback period in May, which attracted tens of thousands of comments. Given the huge response, a DEA decision on rescheduling won’t happen until after the November election.
On Sunday night local time, Donald Trump stated he believes it’s time to end “needless arrests and incarcerations of adults” for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use. As well as voting yes on Florida’s Amendment 3 this November that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana (Mr. Trump is a Floridian), he also stated:
“As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.”
Last week in an interview, Trump said he’s had “others and doctors telling me that it’s been absolutely amazing, the medical marijuana”.
“And we put out a statement that we can live with the marijuana,” he said. “It’s got to be a certain age, got to be a certain age to buy it. It’s got to be done in a very concerted, lawful way.”
What about Kamala Harris?
Vice-President Kamala Harris hasn’t made any significant statements on cannabis policy recently, but has previously stated marijuana’s current status as a Schedule I substance was “absurd”.
There is strong support among US voters for change to federal cannabis policy. A Pew Research Center survey conducted early this year indicated 88% of Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use.
