"Smoke and Mirrors": Trump's Cannabis Rescheduling Order Falls Flat Amid Opposition
President Donald Trump's recent order to reschedule cannabis, a move that could potentially unlock more research opportunities and cut red tape for businesses and consumers, has turned out to be little more than a public relations stunt.
The Department of Justice was instructed to fast-track the process, but insiders now say that the outcome is far from certain. In fact, many are predicting a protracted and drawn-out battle over the fate of cannabis reform. The opposition within the administration and the conservative movement have already started gearing up for a fight against rescheduling.
The Controlled Substances Act, enacted by former President Richard Nixon, categorizes drugs into five schedules based on their potential for harm or addictiveness versus their medical use value. Schedule I substances are considered the most tightly controlled, with cannabis currently classified as such, alongside heroin and LSD.
Advocates of rescheduling argue that the current Schedule I classification is overly restrictive and hinders research and businesses in the industry. However, opponents like Attorney General Pam Bondi, a long-time opponent of cannabis reform, have vowed to drag the process out. The mechanisms within the administrative process allow for this delay, as noted by Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML.
"I've been on the record for the last three years making it clear that this is designed to be a very long and drawn-out process," Armentano said. "History shows us that rescheduling petitions take multiple decades to resolve." The longest rescheduling petition on record took over 20 years to complete, from its initiation in 1972 until its resolution in 1994.
The current push for rescheduling dates back to 2022 when former President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services to reexamine cannabis's scheduling status. However, despite Trump's recent order, the focus on rescheduling represents a double-edged sword for the industry.
Descheduling, or removing cannabis from Schedule I altogether, is seen by some as the more effective solution to regulatory barriers. Corey Coleman, co-founder of Sky High Brands and founder of the Iowa Hemp Coalition, highlights the arbitrary nature of cannabis regulation, which can benefit big business but hinder smaller operators.
"It's a step in the right direction," Coleman said. "But we still have a long way to go." As for Trump's order, it remains to be seen whether anything will actually change. A Justice Department official told Salon that they are working to identify the most expeditious means of executing the executive order, but many predict that rescheduling will take years – or even decades.
Ultimately, the outcome of this saga will depend on the actions of those within and outside the administration who are shaping the future of cannabis policy. For now, it's clear that the smoke has been blown, and the real work begins.
President Donald Trump's recent order to reschedule cannabis, a move that could potentially unlock more research opportunities and cut red tape for businesses and consumers, has turned out to be little more than a public relations stunt.
The Department of Justice was instructed to fast-track the process, but insiders now say that the outcome is far from certain. In fact, many are predicting a protracted and drawn-out battle over the fate of cannabis reform. The opposition within the administration and the conservative movement have already started gearing up for a fight against rescheduling.
The Controlled Substances Act, enacted by former President Richard Nixon, categorizes drugs into five schedules based on their potential for harm or addictiveness versus their medical use value. Schedule I substances are considered the most tightly controlled, with cannabis currently classified as such, alongside heroin and LSD.
Advocates of rescheduling argue that the current Schedule I classification is overly restrictive and hinders research and businesses in the industry. However, opponents like Attorney General Pam Bondi, a long-time opponent of cannabis reform, have vowed to drag the process out. The mechanisms within the administrative process allow for this delay, as noted by Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML.
"I've been on the record for the last three years making it clear that this is designed to be a very long and drawn-out process," Armentano said. "History shows us that rescheduling petitions take multiple decades to resolve." The longest rescheduling petition on record took over 20 years to complete, from its initiation in 1972 until its resolution in 1994.
The current push for rescheduling dates back to 2022 when former President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services to reexamine cannabis's scheduling status. However, despite Trump's recent order, the focus on rescheduling represents a double-edged sword for the industry.
Descheduling, or removing cannabis from Schedule I altogether, is seen by some as the more effective solution to regulatory barriers. Corey Coleman, co-founder of Sky High Brands and founder of the Iowa Hemp Coalition, highlights the arbitrary nature of cannabis regulation, which can benefit big business but hinder smaller operators.
"It's a step in the right direction," Coleman said. "But we still have a long way to go." As for Trump's order, it remains to be seen whether anything will actually change. A Justice Department official told Salon that they are working to identify the most expeditious means of executing the executive order, but many predict that rescheduling will take years – or even decades.
Ultimately, the outcome of this saga will depend on the actions of those within and outside the administration who are shaping the future of cannabis policy. For now, it's clear that the smoke has been blown, and the real work begins.
. Like, what's the end game here? Is he actually trying to make cannabis more accessible or is this just another way for him to be a "tough on crime" president? 
Either way, it's gonna take a lot of work and political capital to get this done.
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. Maybe Trump's order is actually a good thing in disguise? Only time will tell 
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- making it seem like progress is being made when in reality it's just more drama and delay.
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. It's like they're just playing along with the game without actually doing anything to change the outcome.
. What's the point of even having an executive order if it's just gonna get bogged down in red tape?
like he thinks he's doing us a solid by rescheduling cannabis but honestly idk if it's even gonna happen 
the opposition is already gearing up for war and who knows how long this is gonna take 
it's just so frustrating as a stoner who wants to be able to live their best life without all the drama 
so trump thinks he's doing us a solid by rescheduling cannabis but really he's just trying to get some brownie points with his base 
like, dude, it's not that hard to just deschedule already 
i mean, come on, people, chill out 
and honestly, who knows what the end result will be? maybe it'll take years or even decades for cannabis to get its due 
. And let's be real, it's gonna take a while for this thing to actually happen. I mean, we're talking years or even decades 
. It's like trying to get a permit to change your phone plan 
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. The conservatives are gonna make this thing as complicated and bureaucratic as possible 
. I'm not saying it's impossible, but... I don't know, man 
. Some people say descheduling is the way to go 
. Remove cannabis from Schedule I altogether? That sounds like a solid plan 
. And I'm not holding my breath for this thing to actually happen 
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. it's almost like he thinks he can just pull a fast one on us, make it look like progress is being made while keeping the status quo intact 
Corey Coleman's right, though - descheduling would have been way more effective in getting rid of all these regulations.
. descheduling is where it's at, bro - remove cannabis from schedule 1 and we can move forward as a society 
. btw, how long did it take for the last rescheduling petition to resolve? like over 20 years, dude? 
. Meanwhile, the industry is still stuck in limbo 
. I mean, come on, let's just remove cannabis from Schedule I already! It's not like it's a hard pill to swallow 
. But no, the focus is always on rescheduling, and it's just so... tedious 
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. So, let's keep an eye on this and see what really happens next 
and we're stuck in this loop where nobody actually does anything 
meanwhile, cannabis industry is literally dying because of regulatory barriers 
and descheduling would be way more effective to kick those red tape outta the door 
Corey Coleman's got some real tea about big business vs small operators 
stats show that cannabis market was $24.1 billion in 2022 
but it's projected to hit $73 billion by 2028 
and descheduling would be the way to go 
descheduling is still the way to go in my opinion 
- it's more about the industry as a whole, not just one company trying to capitalize on the situation 
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