Photo: Alamy | Analysis by Summer Lane
When President Donald Trump was running for re-election in 2024, he discussed his stance on arrests and incarcerations for adults using marijuana for “personal use,” noting smart regulations on the drug needed to be balanced with safe and tested usage.
His statement came last September, when he signaled support for a Florida November ballot measure, Amendment 3, that would have legalized cannabis usage for adults 21 years and older.
“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” he wrote in a statement at that time. “We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product.”
His Truth Social statement and support for Amendment 3 are not the only comments Trump has made about cannabis. He told Lex Fridman that he had seen “friends” benefit from the use of medical marijuana. “It’s got to be a certain age, it’s going to be done in a very concerted, lawful way…you’ve got to have a system where there’s control,” he said.
On that front, Trump has been very consistent. So this week, when reports emerged that the Trump administration was possibly considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug at the federal level, debate sparked online about whether such a move would be edifying for American culture.
A gateway drug or a medical necessity?
Opinions on the use of cannabis are mixed. Some critics oppose its use entirely, while others support a blanket form of legalization like alcohol purchases. Yet others land somewhere between the two stances.
Congressman Greg Steube (R-Fla.) wrote on X, “It makes zero sense that federal law treats marijuana the same as heroin and LSD. It is even more ridiculous that cocaine is technically classified as less restrictive than marijuana.”
Former professional boxer Mike Tyson added to the conversation online, commenting, “Rescheduling marijuana will allow for more treatments for our GREAT veterans, and add approx. 500k jobs to document on jobs report, plus lead to safer banking.”
By contrast, some conservative voices have opposed such a move. Political commentator Steve Cortes called marijuana a “scourge” that saps the “will and productivity of far too many citizens, especially young men.”
“MAGA must focus on quality of life issues — we can do so much better than cities that reek of disgusting smoke,” he said.
Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec posited similar comments last week, arguing, “Rescheduling marijuana is a massive corporate handout to Big Leaf[.] Billions will flow in tax deductions, and within 5 years the cannabis industry will double to a $50 Billion industry[.] That’s why they’re lobbying so much to support rescheduling[.]”
While critics and supporters of reclassified cannabis spar over whether the product is simply a gateway drug or a useful treatment for some severe ailments, Trump confirmed this week that his administration is, nevertheless, discussing the issue.
Trump’s newest comments
President Trump’s most recent comments about reclassifying marijuana were made on Monday during a special press briefing at the White House.
“We’re looking at it, some people like it, some people hate it, some people hate the whole concept of marijuana…but we’re looking at reclassification and we’ll make a determination, I would say, over the next few weeks,” he said.
Trump called cannabis a “very complicated subject,” noting that he had heard “great things” for medical use, but in other areas, such as cannabis use among youth, he’d heard “bad” things.
His comments were consistent with his remarks on the campaign trail, where he noted the value of cannabis in treating some medical conditions, but postured to maintain lawful control over the substance to avoid creating a society that is too lax with it.
What happens if marijuana is reclassified?
If marijuana is rescheduled from a Schedule 1 controlled substance to a Schedule III drug, as some reports have suggested, it would essentially open the cannabis industry and make buying and selling more accessible.
Currently, medical marijuana use is legal in 47 states, while recreational use is also legal in 24 states, including the District of Columbia. It is reasonable to assume that rescheduling cannabis would boost the marijuana industry by millions or even billions of dollars.
It remains to be seen what the Trump administration will determine as far as reclassifying the drug in the coming weeks, but it seems as if leadership is leaning toward making it more lawfully accessible for Americans nationwide.