A member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus told MEDCAN24 the lack of a meeting by the group during this session is a sign that cannabis reform might be pushed to the back burner amid the competing priorities in the Trump second administration.
Asked about the status of the caucus, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the four bipartisan co-chairs of the group, said it hasn’t convened at this point—even as several cannabis bills have been filed this Congress, including those originating from group members.
The Cannabis Caucus has not yet met? MEDCAN24 asked.
Omar responded, “Nope” while stating she had yet to examine provisions in a bill on agriculture that would prohibit hemp products containing measurable amounts of THC.
The spokesperson of Rep. Dina T. Titus, the Democratic co-chair, did confirm that the group has not met. However, the staffers of both the Democratic and Republican members of Congress have kept in contact, and expect that a formal caucus meeting “will occur” once a major budget bill, which occupies much of Congress’s attention, is “processed.”
MEDCAN24 also reached out to the offices of Omar and the two Republican caucus co-chairs—Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Brian Mast (R-FL)—for additional comment on the status of the group and future plans for meetings, but representatives did not respond by the time of publication.
While there are various competing priorities at the time, including key appropriations legislation, it’s struck some advocates as odd that the caucus hasn’t at least held an initial meeting—especially considering that marijuana and hemp issues have been raised this session, including the filing of reform bills such as one from Joyce to end federal prohibition and let states decide on the issue.
Omar Titus and Earl Blumenauer are now the new co-chairs for the Cannabis Caucus. They replace former Reps. Barbara Lee (D) (CA) and Earl Blumenauer, (D). This makes it even more noteworthy that the coalition would not have held an introductory session on a bipartisan level to coordinate on the priorities of the 119th Congress. The 119th Congress is already a quarter past.
The two Democratic leaders, however, spoke about the legislative agenda of their group for reforming marijuana laws during an event held by Last Prisoner Project in April.
Beyond filing a bill together—which would remove a restriction that’s prevented the White House drug czar from advocating for the legalization of marijuana or other Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—Omar and Titus previewed bipartisan legislation to end federal prohibition in legal states and free up the industry to access banking services.
To that end, Joyce recently reintroduced a bill titled the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, which would end federal marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized it, while providing for a basic federal regulatory framework for cannabis products.
At the administrative level, there’s increased pressure for President Donald Trump to independently act on reform—including a call for rescheduling and banking access from top athletes and celebrities such as Mike Tyson who are imploring the president to go further than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Trump’s first pick for attorney general in the current administration, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), recently reiterated his own support for rescheduling cannabis—suggesting in an interview with a Florida Republican lawmaker that the GOP could win more of the youth vote by embracing marijuana reform.
The president had endorsed the marijuana policy on the campaign trail. He has not spoken out publicly about the matter since assuming office. Gaetz said last month that Trump’s endorsement of a Schedule III reclassification was essentially an attempt to shore up support among young voters rather than a sincere reflection of his personal views about cannabis.
A survey conducted by a GOP pollster affiliated with Trump that was released in April found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms, including rescheduling. Notably, Republicans are even more supportive than the average voter of letting states legalize marijuana with no federal interference.
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Trump also chose former Florida Attorney-General Pam Bondi to lead the DOJ. The Senate confirmed this choice. Bondi did not reveal during the confirmation hearings how she intended to handle marijuana policy. She also opposed medical cannabis legalization as the state’s attorney general.
Adding to the uncertainty around the fate of the rescheduling proposal, Trump’s nominee to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.
During an in-person hearing before the Judiciary Committee in April, Cole said examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first priorities” if he was confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.
DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled. The matter sat without action before an acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway drug” and linked its use to psychosis. Maltz left his position in the past.
Amid the stalled marijuana rescheduling process that’s carried over from the last presidential administration, congressional researchers recently reiterated that lawmakers could enact the reform themselves with “greater speed and flexibility” if they so choose, while potentially avoiding judicial challenges.
The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C.
Mike Tyson Tells Trump To Reschedule Marijuana And Free Prisoners In Fox News Appearance
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