President Donald Trump is signaling a potential shift in federal marijuana policy, opening the door to reclassifying the drug in a move that could deliver a major boost to the cannabis industry and spark sharp debate within his own political base.
Speaking at a recent donor event at his Bedminster, New Jersey, country club, Trump acknowledged he is considering moving marijuana from its current Schedule I classification, alongside heroin and LSD, to a lower category that recognizes its medical value, reports Axios on Tuesday.
While short of legalization, such a change would ease tax burdens on cannabis businesses, allow them to deduct expenses, and expand opportunities for medical research.
The move would represent another instance in which the administration has embraced policy shifts historically championed by Democrats — joining recent actions on banning food dyes, reducing animal testing, and exploring psychedelics for mental health treatment.
Industry advocates have long pushed for rescheduling, launching a high-powered lobbying effort that has included million-dollar fundraising events.
Kevin Sabet, founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former White House drug policy adviser, told Axios that cannabis companies have spent "hundreds of millions of dollars" to influence the president, driven largely by the potential tax advantages.
Polling suggests a receptive public: Surveys from the Pew Research Center and others show 88% of Americans support either medical or recreational marijuana use.
Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, noted that the spread of hemp-derived THC products has further blurred partisan lines on the issue.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime supporter of marijuana legalization, is one of the few in Trump's orbit openly backing the potential change, arguing it would enable critical research.
Still, experts caution that rescheduling does not equal legalization and would shift regulatory responsibility to the Food and Drug Administration, potentially putting the agency in a difficult position over enforcement and medical standards.
Carnegie Mellon University professor Jonathan Caulkins told Axios the policy would amount to "officially recognizing" marijuana's medical uses while still navigating inconsistencies in product quality and pharmaceutical norms.
Trump himself has expressed mixed feelings, noting both positive reports about medical benefits and concerns over negative side effects.
The prospect of loosening marijuana restrictions is causing visible fractures within the MAGA movement, reports Axios. Prominent influencers have voiced strong opposition, portraying marijuana as corrosive to public order and societal health.
"I hope this doesn't happen," Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk posted on X, adding that marijuana already overwhelms public spaces.
Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire argued that "no country of potheads has ever thrived," while MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec warned against normalizing cannabis in family-friendly environments.
These critics frame marijuana use as antithetical to MAGA ideals of hard work, discipline, and traditional masculinity — values they say are rooted in the cultural legacy of Western civilization.
Podcaster Michael Knowles told Axios that conservatives "prefer traditional pleasures" like tobacco or alcohol, casting marijuana as the "liberal intoxicant of choice."
Not all voices in the movement agree. Some MAGA-aligned commentators see rescheduling as consistent with the right's skepticism toward Big Pharma and support for alternative medical treatments.
Influencer Rogan O'Handley argued the move would benefit veterans and undermine the pharmaceutical industry. CJ Pearson, another pro-Trump voice, said the openness to reclassification "shows he's listening" to those who have experienced medicinal benefits firsthand.
Trump said Monday that any decision is still "early" and will be made "over the next few weeks," emphasizing that it is "a very complicated subject."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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