President Donald Trump said Monday his administration was “looking at reclassification” of marijuana and intends to make a decision in the upcoming weeks.
“It’s a very complicated subject base,” he said during a press briefing. “I’ve heard great things having to do with medical and bad things having to do with just about everything else.”
His comments come after a Friday Wall Street Journal report indicated Trump was considering reclassifying the drug as less dangerous.
The move, which the Biden administration considered but did not ultimately enact, is controversial among some in Trump’s base. Charlie Kirk, an ally of the president, conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, said he hopes “this doesn’t happen.”
“We need to protect public spaces for kids,” he wrote in an X post Saturday. “Everything already smells like weed, which is ridiculous. Let’s make it harder to ruin public spaces, not easier.”
Trump did not indicate at the briefing whether he intends to reclassify the drug, just that his administration would consider it. Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug would reduce penalties without making it fully legal.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Trump said he would vote yes on a Florida amendment that would legalize marijuana throughout the state. Florida voters did not approve the amendment.
“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” he wrote on Truth Social. “We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product.”
In the post, he indicated he would look into the medical uses of marijuana and the benefits of reducing its classification to Schedule III.