What do Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for Cannabis Reform?

As the furor surrounding the US presidential election subsides, the president elect’s preliminary picks for his cabinet have given the cannabis industry a glimpse into what it can expect for reform in the US over the next four years.

While Trump’s personal position on cannabis has been relatively fluid during his political career, two of his picks for positions that will play a crucial role in cannabis policy have a much clearer and more amenable view of cannabis.

Matt Gaetz – Attorney General

Last week, news emerged that controversial Congressman Matt Gaetz has been picked by Trump for the role of attorney general.

Gaetz’s selection came as a surprise to almost everybody, not least because of his lack of legal experience, having only worked in law for a few years at a local level.

Furthermore, Gaetz has been under investigation by the Department of Justice for nearly three years over allegations he violated sex trafficking laws with a 17-year-old girl during a trip to the Bahamas, which he has consistently denied.

Just days before a report into this investigation was released, Gaetz resigned as a congressman, ending the House Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction over him and effectively preventing the report from being released.

Should his nomination be approved in the Senate, Gaetz would become head of the department which has been investigating him for years.

This would also give him considerable influence in regards to cannabis policy, particularly in regards to rescheduling.

Speaking to Business of Cannabis, one industry expert suggested his appointment would be a boon for the prospect of rescheduling, given Gaetz’s vocal support of cannabis reform and legalization.

In 2019, he joined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to advocate for expanding the state’s medical cannabis program, including allowing smokable cannabis products.

At the federal level, Gaetz was one of the few Republican representatives to support the Democratic-led Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act in 2022, which sought to legalize cannabis nationwide and address social justice issues related to its prohibition.

Throughout his time in Congress, Gaetz has co-sponsored multiple cannabis-related bills, focusing on facilitating research, expanding access for veterans, and easing banking restrictions for cannabis businesses.

He has also criticized federal agencies for their inaction on cannabis reform. In a 2022 oversight hearing, he pressed the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for failing to provide a timeline for reviewing cannabis’s classification under federal law.

In addition to these efforts, Gaetz introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act aimed at ending cannabis testing for military recruits, linking the policy change to efforts to address declining US Army recruitment.

However, despite his general support for cannabis reform, Gaetz opposed a 2024 Florida ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis. He argued that such issues should be decided legislatively rather than through constitutional amendments.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – US Health Secretary

In another controversial nomination, Kennedy (also known as RFK Junior) has been nominated by Trump to serce as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), seeing him oversee public health policy, medical research and welfare programmes.

Once again, his nomination has come as a surprise to many, given his promotion of anti-vaccine misinformation, campaigns against the use of fluoride in drinking water.

In a recent NPR interview, Kennedy stated that Trump tasked him with removing corruption from health agencies, restoring evidence-based medicine, and addressing the chronic disease epidemic.

Kennedy, an outspoken advocate for cannabis and psychedelics legalization, could bring sweeping changes to federal law, emphasizing therapeutic applications and funding recovery initiatives through taxation.

In another potential boon for those calling for the government to go beyond rescheduling, Kennedy has indicated he may push for further changes, including lower scheduling or complete descheduling, in line with his campaign proposals.

Additionally, he supports easing banking restrictions for cannabis businesses, a move intended to stabilize and integrate the industry economically. Revenue from cannabis taxation, he has suggested, should be channeled into the creation of therapeutic recovery centers.

Kennedy has underscored the medical potential of cannabis and psychedelics for conditions such as PTSD, depression, and addiction recovery. However, he opposes unrestricted commercial legalization, favoring tightly controlled, medically supervised access. He has also voiced concerns over the risk of corporate exploitation in these industries, advocating for regulations that prioritize public benefit over profit motives.

His proposals also signify a more assertive path than the incremental reforms seen under current HHS leadership. If confirmed, Kennedy would wield significant influence over agencies like the FDA, enabling him to fast-track cannabis and psychedelics research and expand their therapeutic applications.