Kellyanne conway, the former chief advisor of President Donald Trump has led the charge for marijuana reclassification in the president’s inner circle. A Republican Congressman told MEDCAN24 that Conway was the leader.
Rep. Brian Mast, co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and a member of Trump’s team weighing a plan to shift cannabis from Schedule I into Schedule III in the Controlled Substances Act(CSA), said he is confident that we will “see progress” since Trump announced late last month that a final decision would be made.
But notably, Mast also disclosed that Conway—who’s previously expressed skepticism about marijuana legalization—is “very much in [Trump’s] She has been rescheduling with both the Administration and her circle.
“For some time she’s been—I think, of the inner circle there, you know—let’s say the biggest champion of that,” the congressman said. “I think Kellyanne makes a difference too.”
There’s uncertainty about the role of the former senior adviser to the president in the rescheduling discussions. She may be advising a business or an organization or simply supporting the new policy.
MEDCAN24 contacted Conway’s Office and Mast’s Office for clarification but neither were available.
Mast said in his interview Thursday that, following months of little interaction, the Cannabis Caucus met on legislative matters. So far, this year’s coordination has been dominated by the staff of legislators. But the congressman noted that members have also met with people and interest groups.
Trump was ambiguous when he said that the decision on rescheduling would be made within weeks. He had endorsed it during his campaign for his second term. Mast, however, interpreted Trump’s remarks as a sign that the country was moving forward.
He said it loudly. Mast told Mast that Mast was considering the possibility of cannabis being reclassified. I think that because President Obama brought up the issue, there will be movement.
Mast replied “absolutely” when asked if Trump’s comments could serve as a wake-up call to the Republican Party.
Conway made headlines last year when she voiced her opposition to legalizing marijuana. This angered certain legislators, including Matt Gaetz (RFL), then Trump’s top choice for attorney general. He resigned earlier in the year.
Conway criticised Kamala Harri (D-CA), then the running mate of former president Joe Biden, in 2015 for overseeing criminal prosecutions against marijuana users.
It looks as if she didn’t leave anyone happy. Many of those who spoke up on the extreme left last night think she is not doing enough for reforming criminal justice. Conway told Conway at the time that she had “locked up more than 1,500 people for marijuana-related charges”. She is viewed as a soft touch by those who work in public safety or law enforcement. She has an extremely mixed track record that will be investigated.
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Ben Carson, Trump’s former Department of Housing and Urban Development head during his initial term, has recently spoken out against a marijuana rescheduling plan that the administration is currently considering.
According to an op ed that was published on Fox News Thursday by the former HUD secretariat, reclassifying Cannabis as a Schedule II drug under CSA would conflict with the President’s effort to “end the crime epidemic destroying American Cities.”
Trump’s former press secretary Sean Spicer and his long-time advisor Roger Stone recently traded diverging takes on the prospect of the administration moving forward on marijuana rescheduling.
Stone separately made the case for reform in an op-ed for MEDCAN24 last week.
Nine GOP congressional lawmakers have called on the U.S. attorney general to reject what they called a “corrupt and flawed” marijuana rescheduling proposal.
In contrast to that letter from GOP lawmakers, a leading drug policy reform group recently launched a petition urging the president to go further than rescheduling by legalizing marijuana altogether.
The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C.
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