Another week, another political tease. This time it's Trump dropping hints about cannabis rescheduling at a million-dollar donor dinner, telling some major contributors that "we need to look at" the issue. If you've been in the cannabis game long enough, this probably sounds familiar. Politicians love dangling the rescheduling carrot, especially when they need votes or want to look progressive without actually committing to anything concrete.

Will this time be different? Maybe. Trump publicly confirmed his administration is "looking at" loosening federal restrictions on cannabis, and for a guy who usually shoots from the hip, it could be worth paying attention to. The cannabis community has good reason to be skeptical though. Rescheduling has become the a hot potato of federal policy, then getting pulled away at the last second more times than anyone wants to count.

What Did Trump Actually Say?

Let's cut through the political speak and get to what actually happened. At his Bedminster fundraiser, Trump gave the kind of vague non-committal answer politicians have been known for. "That's something we're going to look at" doesn't exactly scream conviction or commitment, but it's more than we've heard from him on cannabis in years.

Then the White House followed up with equally vague reassurances that "all policy and legal requirements and implications are being considered" and that Trump's only concern is "what is in the best interest of the American people." Translation being, they're still figuring out which way the wind is blowing.

What's missing from these statements is any real detail about what rescheduling would look like under his administration. No timelines, no specifics about Schedule III versus full descheduling, and definitely no mention of social equity or criminal justice reform. Just the usual political tap dancing. It's sort of deflating. 

Why Now And Why Should We Believe Him?

The timing is interesting, if nothing else. Trump's comments come as cannabis industry observers have waited for signals on whether the administration will follow through on the president's campaign pledge to reschedule marijuana. Campaign promises are one thing, but governing is another entirely.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles requested key agencies to submit their positions on cannabis rescheduling, and those reports are apparently sitting on her desk right now. That suggests this isn't just political theater; there's actual bureaucratic machinery grinding away on this issue.

The Rescheduling Road Up To This Point

To understand where we're headed, let's recap how we got here. The Biden administration kicked off the current rescheduling process after years of advocacy pressure. On August 29, 2023, HHS sent a formal letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), recommending cannabis be reclassified to Schedule III. The recommendation cited accepted medical use and lower abuse potential compared to other controlled substances. 

Read more about that move in our article Will Joe Biden Legalize Cannabis?

The DEA responded on April 30, 2024, by announcing its intent to begin the formal rulemaking process to implement the change. On May 21, 2024, the DEA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register, which opened a 60-day public comment period. The public comment period closed on July 22, 2024, with nearly 43,000 comments.

Then everything got stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Administrative delays, legal challenges, and the election cycle put the whole process on pause. Now Trump's team gets to decide whether to pick up where Biden left off or scrap the whole thing.

Trump's Leadership Style Is the Wild Card

Here's what makes Trump different from typical politicians: his team can't freelance on major policy decisions. When Trump speaks publicly about an issue, even vaguely, it carries real weight within his administration. His loyalty-over-policy approach means that once he commits to something, the bureaucracy falls in line pretty quickly.

But Trump's positions also shift with the political winds. Remember when he said he supported states' rights on cannabis during his first presidency? That didn't exactly translate into meaningful action. His track record suggests he'll follow whatever path seems most politically advantageous at any given moment. It's pretty on-brand at this point. 

The cannabis community learned this lesson the hard way during his first term. Lots of promises about respecting state laws, followed by Jeff Sessions launching renewed federal enforcement efforts. Trust, but verify seems like the right approach here.

What Would Schedule III Actually Mean for Us?

Let's talk specifics and practicality. Moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III wouldn't legalize it federally, but it would reduce stigma and open doors for more research. Traditional pharmaceutical companies could get involved more easily, which might be good for legitimizing the industry but potentially bad for craft producers and the existing cannabis community.

The big immediate benefit would be relief from 280E tax burdens that have crushed cannabis businesses for years. Medical programs could expand more easily, and banking relationships might become less complicated. For hash makers and extractors, it could mean easier access to equipment, supplies, and financial services that have been off-limits due to federal prohibition.

But Schedule III isn't the promised land. Cannabis would still be federally illegal for recreational use, and the DEA would retain significant control over the industry. It's progress, but it's not the full legalization that many in the community have been fighting for.

What's Missing From the Conversation

Notice what Trump hasn't mentioned? Social equity, clemency for cannabis prisoners, or full descheduling. His comments focus entirely on the bureaucratic mechanics of rescheduling, not the human cost of prohibition or the communities most harmed by the drug war.

The real change the cannabis community is fighting for goes way beyond reclassification. We're talking about restorative justice, social equity programs, and ending the criminalization that has destroyed lives and communities for decades. Trump's current approach seems to ignore all of that.

So...Will It Happen?

Predicting Trump's next move is like trying to read tea leaves in a hurricane, but here are the most likely scenarios:

1. He could follow through with rescheduling to claim a policy win and appeal to moderate voters who support cannabis reform. The political benefits are obvious: popular policy that doesn't cost much political capital. 

2. Or he could drag his feet indefinitely, letting the issue die in committee while focusing on other priorities. Cannabis reform might poll well, but it's not exactly his base's top concern.

3. There's also the wild card possibility that some unexpected twist throws the whole process off track. New DEA resistance, legal challenges, or shifting political priorities could derail things just as easily as they could accelerate them.

The uncertainty is frustrating, but it's also familiar territory for anyone who's been advocating for cannabis reform. Progress in this space has always been slow, uneven, and subject to political whiplash.

Stay Ready and Stay Realistic

Whether Trump moves forward with rescheduling or not, the solventless community will keep doing what it's always done: pushing the craft forward, educating consumers, and building the infrastructure for a legal cannabis future.

The politicians will come and go, making promises and breaking them, taking credit for changes they didn't create. But the real work happens in extraction labs, grow rooms, and advocacy organizations where people are committed to this movement regardless of who occupies the White House.

Keep advocating, keep perfecting your craft, and remember who built this industry from the ground up. It wasn't the politicians showing up now to claim credit. It was growers, extractors, patients, and advocates who believed in this plant's potential long before it became politically convenient.

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