At a private dinner in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 8, 2025, President Donald Trump signaled a potential shift in federal marijuana policy that could reshape the nation’s approach to one of its most contentious substances. According to multiple sources cited by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, Trump told a gathering of donors, “That’s something we’re going to look at,” referring to the possibility of downgrading marijuana from its current Schedule I status to the less restrictive Schedule III under federal law.
This move, if it materializes, would not outright legalize marijuana nationwide. Instead, it would ease federal restrictions, open the door for expanded medical research, and allow cannabis businesses to claim tax deductions previously off-limits. As it stands, marijuana is classified alongside heroin as a Schedule I controlled substance, a category reserved for drugs with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Schedule III, by contrast, covers substances with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
The prospect of reclassification has ignited intense debate within Trump’s inner circle. Some advisers see it as a strategic opportunity to broaden Republican appeal ahead of the midterm elections, particularly among younger voters and libertarian-leaning Americans. Others, however, warn that easing restrictions could provoke backlash from more conservative elements of the GOP, potentially undermining the party’s tough-on-crime platform.
“All policy and legal requirements and implications are being considered,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told CNN on August 9, 2025. “The only interest guiding the president’s policy decision is what is in the best interest of the American people.”
The conversation at Bedminster wasn’t the first time Trump has hinted at supporting marijuana reform. Nearly a year earlier, during the closing months of his presidential campaign, Trump posted on Truth Social that he intended to vote for a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in his home state of Florida. He further pledged, “As president, I will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug.”
Despite these pronouncements, seven months into his second term, Trump’s administration has yet to act on marijuana reform. The delay has not gone unnoticed. “I think what [DEA chief Terrance Cole] needs to hear is a call from the president or the chief of staff saying, ‘This is a promise he made during the campaign, and promises made are promises kept,’” Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO James Hagedorn told Fox Business last week. Hagedorn, whose company has become a major player in the hydroponics and cannabis industry, said Trump privately assured him and other business leaders “multiple times” of his intention to reclassify marijuana.
Industry support for reform has been robust. Federal Election Commission records show Scotts Miracle-Gro donated $500,000 to a Trump-aligned super PAC during the 2024 election. In 2024 and 2025, marijuana producer Trulieve and the US Cannabis Council contributed a combined $1 million to Trump’s campaign, as did the American Rights and Reform PAC. These donations reflect the high stakes for a burgeoning industry that, while legal in many states, remains handcuffed by federal law.
Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, was among the attendees at the Bedminster fundraiser and personally urged Trump to consider reclassification, according to The Wall Street Journal. The event, where each plate cost $1 million, underscored the political and financial clout now wielded by the cannabis sector.
Yet, marijuana policy reform was notably absent from the main objectives recently published by Trump’s new DEA chief, Terrance Cole. This omission has fueled speculation about whether the administration is truly committed to change or merely dangling the prospect for political gain. According to sources close to the White House, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has compiled agency feedback on the issue, but no executive action has been taken as of early August 2025.
The debate isn’t just political—it’s deeply personal for Trump. Despite his public posturing on marijuana softening in recent years, the president remains a known teetotaler. His late brother’s struggle with alcohol addiction has shaped his aversion to drug and alcohol use. In a 2018 video, Trump claimed, “In Colorado, they have more accidents. It does cause an I.Q. problem.” Nevertheless, he has also called for an end to “needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use.”
Supporters of reform argue that reclassification would unlock research opportunities, create jobs, and provide clarity to millions of patients in states where medicinal marijuana is already legal. Veterans, in particular, have been vocal about the need for expanded access to cannabis-based treatments. In April, pro-marijuana ads funded by American Rights and Reform PAC aired on TVs at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, targeting Trump directly.
Prominent voices outside the administration have also urged action. Podcaster Joe Rogan, a key Trump supporter during the campaign, reiterated his call to legalize marijuana on his show last month. Gen Z adviser Alex Bruesewitz, influential in Trump’s outreach to young men, has taken to social media to push for change, calling rescheduling marijuana a “no brainer.”
Public opinion appears to back reform. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, nearly 60% of Americans support legalizing recreational marijuana, while only 11% oppose legalization for any purpose. Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio wrote in a memo reported by CNN that changing marijuana policy was “an easy way to attract the voters needed to win in 2026, particularly young voters.”
Still, the path forward is complicated by legal and law enforcement concerns. Some advisers worry that reclassifying marijuana could undermine police authority to use its odor as probable cause for searches and stops—a key tool in drug enforcement. For an administration that has championed empowering police, this could prove a sticking point.
The Biden administration faced similar challenges. In 2022, President Joe Biden ordered a review of marijuana’s classification, and by 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving it to Schedule III. In 2024, the Department of Justice initiated a rule to codify the proposal, which Biden called “monumental” and a “major step.” However, the process stalled, and Biden left office before finalizing the change. A scheduled DEA hearing was canceled the day after Trump took office and has not been rescheduled.
As deliberations continue, the decision ultimately rests with the president. With agency reports in hand and mounting pressure from donors, industry leaders, and a significant portion of the electorate, Trump faces a pivotal choice: fulfill a campaign promise and potentially reshape federal drug policy, or maintain the status quo and risk alienating key supporters. The next steps from the White House will be watched closely—not just by cannabis advocates and industry insiders, but by a nation grappling with how best to balance public health, law enforcement, and personal freedom.
For now, the future of federal marijuana policy remains as hazy as ever, with the president’s next move set to determine whether a new era for cannabis in America is truly on the horizon.
