Despite coming to the White House with a laundry list of policies he wants to change or reverse, there are signs that cannabis could be a rare issue on which president-elect Donald Trump carries a Biden policy forward, NPR reports. President Biden's administration has proposed removing marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substance and making it a Schedule III drug, a category that acknowledges medical benefits. Along with its implications for potential markets and consumers, the move would boost medical research into cannabis. David Culver, the senior vice president of public affairs of the U.S. Cannabis Council lobbying group, tells NPR that he's optimistic the new administration will take a similar approach to cannabis. "We didn't see a lot of activity from President Trump, if any at all, on cannabis reform" in his first term, Culver says. "But I think this time is going to be different."
Two months before the election, Trump issued a statement largely aligning himself with the Biden administration and his election opponent, Vice President Harris. In it, he affirmed that he supports legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. "I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," he said in a Truth Social post. "We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product." Trump said he would vote "yes" on Florida's recreational cannabis ballot question (the proposed amendment fell short of its 60% threshold). And he suggested Biden's cannabis policy might remain intact. "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," Trump said.
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