The Senate’s key committee gave initial approval to Donald Trump’s choice to be the White House Drug Czar. She will have a major role to play in the implementation of drug policy, which includes everything from marijuana to psychedelics and harm reduction to overdose prevention.
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Sara Carter Bailey’s nomination to the Office of National Drug Control Policy as Director. Bailey expressed support for the medical use of cannabis while saying that legalization is not a problem, even though she may disagree with it personally.
Bailey, a former journalist who covered drug cartels in her reporting, recently told senators the Administration is considering “all options,” as they continue to review a marijuana rescheduling plan. She also described cannabis reform as “a bipartisan issue.”
By a vote of 12-10, the committee advanced her nomination to Senate Floor.
Before the vote, Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the committee, had called Bailey a “Trump loyalist” and said that she was “nominated to a post for which [she] is completely, wholly, unqualified.”
“She is neither a medical doctor nor an addictions specialist,” said he. She has never worked as a prosecutor or law enforcement officer.
Bailey’s past endorsement of medical cannabis is a welcome development for supporters, given the role that the ONDCP Director plays in setting the policy agenda and implementing it.
Booker raised this issue with the nominee separately last month. Booker stated that the move of marijuana to Schedule III would represent a “step forward.”
If you are confirmed, what advice would you give to the American president regarding the rescheduling of the event? He asked.
Bailey shared Booker’s passion about the issue which she described as being “bipartisan”.
She said, “I will follow all federal laws as well as fulfill the statutory responsibilities for the ONDCP if I am confirmed to be director.” However, we’ll continue to do extensive research with data. We’ll continue doing that, and we will explore all possibilities.
Trump endorsed rescheduling—as well as marijuana industry banking access and a Florida legalization ballot initiative–on the campaign trail ahead of his second term. In late August, Trump’s comments about the timetable for making a scheduling decision left a less clear impression.
While Bailey has spoken often about various marijuana policy issues—focusing attention on illicit trafficking and illegal grow operations on U.S. land, for example—her public comments on how she personally feels about the topic have been limited. She did, however, make a point of separating illicit marijuana from legally supplied marijuana in her last podcast episode.
She said, “I have no problem with it being legalized as long as it is monitored.” “I mean, I may have my own issues of how I feel about that, but I do believe that cannabis for medicinal purposes and medical reasons is a fantastic way of handling—especially for people with cancer and other illnesses, you know—of handling the illness and the side effects of the medication and those illnesses. “I’m not suggesting that we make cannabis illegal.”
If Bailey’s confirmation by the Senate is successful, she would become the second drug czar to voice support for medical cannabis, after former president Joe Biden’s ONDCP Director Rahul Gupta. He worked as a consulting for cannabis businesses, and oversaw the implementation of West Virginia’s medical marijuana program.
On her social media, Bailey has previously shared links—without commentary—to news stories about a variety of marijuana-related issues. Bailey has posted on a variety of marijuana-related topics, including illicit cartel growers, as well as congressional and State-level votes for legalization.
Federal statute dictates the drug czar is prohibited from endorsing the legalization of Schedule I drugs in the CSA, including marijuana.
“The Director…shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 812 of this title and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that— (A) is listed in schedule I of section 812 of this title; and (B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration.”
In April, however, Democratic congressional lawmakers announced the filing of a bill that would remove that restriction. The GOP-controlled Congress has yet to advance the bill.
Bailey has separately sounded the alarm about the risk of pesticides and other contaminants in marijuana grown and sold by Chinese cartels—an issue that was recently taken up by a House committee.
The nominee discussed the matter with Derek Maltz last year. Maltz was a retired Drug Enforcement Administration official, who temporarily served as the acting administrator for the agency before Trump confirmed Terrance Cole, his permanent choice.
Bailey, in a X message about Maltz’s interview, said he revealed how “Chinese marijuana-growing operations” use pesticides that are hazardous.
Bailey was praised by U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia in 2022 for working with his office and bringing attention to illegal grow operations within his district. This led to an investigation conducted locally.
Bailey thanked the congressman for his work, saying, “your efforts in taking down illegal marijuana plants have stopped cartels exploitation of your community, people forced to work with them and those who are forced to be on their payroll.” [money].”
In an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity in 2021, she also talked about her work with Garcia—including accompanying him on a helicopter to survey “miles and miles and miles of vast, sophisticated illegal grows worth tens of millions of dollars.”
The cartels have become “extremely brazen”. “They’re not ashamed of it,” said she. She said, “They’re not afraid of hiding it because they feel they’ll never be held responsible for it.”
Bailey seems to have implied at various times that she is in favor of controlled access to cannabis to promote public health and safety. We’ll have to wait and see if this implied position influences federal policy if the ONDCP director is confirmed.
On her social media, she’s previously shared links—without commentary—to news stories about a variety of marijuana-related issues. In addition to her focus on illicit cartel grows, she’s also posted about congressional and state-level legalization votes, staffers in the Biden administration being fired over past cannabis use, Democratic presidential candidates’ support for legalization, the advancement of cannabis banking legislation in Congress and state policy developments such as Alaska’s legalization of cannabis cafes.
Mike Latimer provided the photo.