A major marijuana company donated $250,000 to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee with a contribution filtered through a leading cannabis industry association—one of the latest examples of how stakeholders are working to ingratiate theirselves with the new administration in the hopes of advancing federal reform.
The lobbying report that Congress received shows the U.S. Cannabis Council, a multi-state operator of cannabis in the United States (USCC), gave a quarter million dollar to President Obama following his November election win.
David Culver told MEDCAN24 that he was “proud to have stood alongside leaders in the cannabis industry at President Trump’s inauguration”.
“We face a wide range of challenges—including addressing debanking and finishing rescheduling—that our leaders in Washington can address,” he said. “President Trump’s embrace of federal cannabis reform has been a great success. He also supports the rights of each state to determine their cannabis laws. “We look forward to working together with his administration and him to move cannabis policy in a meaningful direction.”
NOTUS reported first the USCC’s contribution to Trump’s inaugural committee. The public is not aware of the extent to which other cannabis companies may have contributed to Trump’s inaugural committee. Contributions must be made public within 90-days of the inaugural.
Meanwhile, another top marijuana executive—Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers—has also been making inroads within Trump circles.
She met with him last year before he endorsed a Florida ballot initiative legalizing cannabis that Rivers’s company funded in large part. But she also went to two events prior to the inauguration: A dinner honoring Vice President J.D. Vance as well as a candlelight meal.
Night 2 at the Candlelight Dinner – beautiful venue with @realDonaldTrump Making remarks the night before inauguration. pic.twitter.com/s4i1N4lYRj
— Kim Rivers (@rivers_kim) January 20, 2025
The Guardian reported that two tickets at the Vice-President’s event cost guests $1 million. Attendees could also raise an additional $2 million through other sources. 2 tickets for the candlelight meal cost $250,000.
MEDCAN24 contacted Rivers and Trulieve, but no representatives were available to comment.
I am honored and excited to be invited to the VP Dinner tonight, to celebrate the inauguration @realDonaldTrump! pic.twitter.com/ajL80h0dVO
— Kim Rivers (@rivers_kim) January 19, 2025
Contributions and the eagerness of cannabis industry leaders to interact with Trump during his second term indicate that they believe Trump will act upon his support for reforms. After meeting Rivers on the campaign trail, Trump also supported federal rescheduling as well as allowing marijuana business to have access to the banking system.
A GOP state senator recently said that the Florida initiative to legalize marijuana, which ultimately failed, “tricked” Trump by misleading him about some provisions, such as the public consumption rule.
Welcome to Inauguration day in Washington DC. @CharlesBachtell We have been having great discussions with our amazing teams, and we’ve had some wonderful conversations in the past couple of days. As we transition peacefully to a new government under @realDonaldTrump. There is a lot of work to do to…
— Kim Rivers (@rivers_kim) January 20, 2025
So far, at least publicly, Trump has been silent on marijuana policy issues since taking office—and for now it is unclear whether the big dollar donations will translate into administrative attention to cannabis industry stakeholders’ policy goals.
For what it’s worth, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a recent report that it “remains to be seen” how Trump will navigate marijuana policy in his second term, and it’s “unknown” whether the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will finalize a proposed rule to reschedule cannabis.
Members of @USCannabisCncl You can also find out more about the following: @CannaRoundtable — including our chairman @Crescolabs @CharlesBachtell — are in DC for the inauguration of President Trump. With a new Congress and incoming President, we’re eager to start working for cannabis reform. pic.twitter.com/kgn2idG9D9
— US Cannabis Council (@USCannabisCncl) January 20, 2025
Cabinet members also differ on the issue of marijuana.
For example, Trump’s pick for attorney general, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) is declining to say how she plans to navigate key marijuana policy issues—including the ongoing rescheduling process and renewing federal enforcement guidance—if she’s ultimately confirmed.
Acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the official who was named as the new head, believes that marijuana is a “gateway” drug and most residents in legalized states will still purchase it illegally from cartels because the high tax rates in regulated markets make them more likely to do so.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had also advocated legalizing marijuana and psychedelics to treat serious mental illnesses. Kennedy did not answer senators questions last week regarding his position on legalizing cannabis, but said he “deferred” to the DEA.
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