President Donald Trump says he’s thinking about “reclassifying” marijuana, which is political speak for I might do it, but don’t start rolling just yet.
While chatting with reporters Monday, August 11, Trump floated the idea of moving marijuana from the government’s “Schedule I” list of substances (where it currently sits beside heroin) down to the far less scary “Schedule III.” Translation: fewer penalties, easier to sell, and a lot more green – in every sense.
The president said it’s a “complicated subject” because of marijuana’s effect on children, but he’s also “heard great things” about its medical uses. In true Trump fashion, he hinted a decision could come in “the coming weeks” – a timeline that’s as flexible as a stoner’s weekend plans.
Trump’s mellowing attitude might not be just about policy – it might also be about PACs. According to The Wall Street Journal, a political action committee backed by the marijuana industry recently donated $1 million [1] to Trump’s PAC. That’s a lotta green to promote the green.
Over 40 states already allow medical marijuana, and 24 have legalized it recreationally. Michigan has both.
Trump’s talk of reclassification might be less about blazing a bold new trail and more about following the scent of fresh cash – and finally catching up to where much of the country’s already been. We could be staring down the biggest mood swing in federal drug policy since Prohibition tapped out… just don’t expect it to happen at the pace of a bong rip.
If Trump actually decides to go full POTus, it won’t be with a magic Sharpie stroke on the Resolute Desk – it’ll be through the bureaucratic equivalent of passing a joint around a circle. First, he’d nudge his Attorney General to tell the DEA to start the reclassification process, then HHS and the FDA would have to bless it with a medical review, and finally the DEA would file the paperwork like the world’s slowest dispensary clerk after public comment periods and other reviews.
Sure, it’s all technically under executive branch control, but the government moves at a pace that would frustrate even the most patient stoner — and that’s assuming no one in the Democratic Party sues Trump like they sue him over everything else.