Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), President Donald Trump’s first pick for U.S. attorney general before he withdrew from consideration, says there’s a “winning coalition” of libertarian-leaning Republicans and Democrats to federally legalize marijuana—but only if Democrats drop their push for social equity and “reparations.”
Gaetz discussed the politics surrounding cannabis with Mason Tvert of the Drug Policy Reform firm Strategies 64 on an episode Monday of the “Matt Gaetz Show”, a One America News show. Tvert is also a partner in the company.
“I’ve been in those discussions, and a lot of people would look at this and say, ‘Gosh, most Americans don’t believe that marijuana should be criminal. This is a growing consensus. Why are libertarian Republicans unable to join forces with Democrats in favor of legalization and form a powerful political alliance? He added.
Gaetz stated, “Here is my theory on the matter: Marijuana has unfairly had to shoulder the political burden for reparations.” Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus support reparations and want to use the money from the marijuana taxes or licensing fees as a distribution system.
Deschedule Marijuana https://t.co/0iU4SzBhD0
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 29, 2025
While in office, the former congressman broke ranks with GOP lawmakers and voted twice in favor of Democratic marijuana legalization measures that included equity provisions. He did, however, voice similar criticisms at the time despite supporting the measures.
I just believe that this divides the Coalition, correct? He said that you have “an obvious winning coalition” with Republicans and Democrats, who are libertarians like him. “But when you insist upon marijuana legalization laws also doing as some have insisted—which is giving licenses to certain Black farmers or making sure that the revenue from taxation goes into Black communities more than into white communities—then you lose the libertarians, and I think that’s one of the reasons why we don’t have the safe banking law.”
Tvert’s position was that the “anti-cannabis laws had an even greater impact on people of color, as well as certain other populations.” He also noted that some advocates believed that these people “should be guaranteed a voice in the creation of these laws, not to mention when it came to ownership of these businesses.”
The Minister also said that cannabis has been banned for around 100 years and “it’s going to be difficult to turn the switch in this country.”
Gaetz’s response was a sarcastic jab about the demographics of Congress. He said, “yeah it sometimes seems that some of them have been in the Senate for the exact same time period.”
Former congressman, in separate remarks, said “meaningful marijuana reforms” are “on the horizon”, under Trump’s administration. He praised President Trump for his “leadership” and support of the rescheduling.
Although the selection was controversial and unrelated, it did not deter advocates or stakeholders. Many felt that having an attorney general actively championing reforms would have been a significant shift and would have helped to see through the scheduling process.
Trump chose the former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, a Republican, to be DOJ’s new leader, and Senate approved that decision. During her confirmation hearings, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana policy issues. 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.
Meanwhile, although shutting down licensed marijuana dispensaries doesn’t “rise to the top” of his priorities, a U.S. attorney who recently warned a Washington, D.C. cannabis shop about potential federal law violations says his “instinct is that it shouldn’t be in the community.”
Last week, a former activist pardoned for marijuana convictions during Trump’s initial term visited the White House to discuss future clemency with the newly appointed “pardon-czar.”
In recent weeks, a marijuana-industry backed political action (PAC) has also released a number of advertisements that attack Biden’s record on cannabis policies as well as Canada. The ads promote sometimes false claims about the previous administration and make the case for Trump to deliver reform.
Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.
Derek Maltz is the current acting DEA administrator. He has made a number of controversial claims regarding marijuana. These include that it’s a gateway substance that leads children to other drugs, that marijuana usage may be linked with school shootings, and that the Justice Department “hijacked the DEA process for rescheduling cannabis.”
Earlier this month, DEA notified an agency judge that the marijuana rescheduling process is still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled as the matter sits before Maltz.
Meanwhile, a recent poll found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms. Notably, Republicans are more likely than the average voter to support allowing state governments to legalize pot without federal interference.
A majority of both voters overall (70 percent), and GOP voters (67%) supported reclassifying marijuana.
The survey was first noted by CNN in a report last month that quoted a White House spokesperson saying the administration currently has “no action” planned on marijuana reform proposals, including those like rescheduling and industry banking access that Trump endorsed on the campaign trail last year.
The White House has also said that marijuana rescheduling is not a part of Trump’s drug policy priorities for the first year of his second term—a disappointment for advocates and stakeholders who hoped to see him take speedier action.
Meanwhile, former marijuana prisoners who received clemency from Trump during his first term staged an event outside the White House earlier this month, expressing gratitude for the relief they were given and calling on the new administration to grant the same kind of help to others who are still behind bars for cannabis.
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