It's been a month since Election Day, so if you thought cannabis policy and political discourse would have separated by now you'd be forgiven, but you'd also be wrong.
A new administration also means a new set of administrators, and President-elect Donald Trump has been fast and furious with announcing who he wants to lead various government agencies, including those that oversee cannabis policy.
As the candidate who was less cannabis-friendly than Kamala Harris, Trump has somewhat surprisingly nominated a number of people to important roles who, according to their past views on cannabis legalization, might actually provide a path forward. Or, at least, they once looked positively on such a path.
DEA
Trump's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration is Chad Chronister, sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes and surrounds Tampa.
While Hillsborough is one of the most populous counties in Florida, it's a far cry from the size of the United States, which Chronister could soon patrol as the top official in charge of the nation's drug enforcement.
As far as cannabis is concerned, Chronister has at least historically been a fan of reducing penalties. In 2020, based on reporting from Marijuana Moment, the presumptive DEA administrator was publicly in favor of reducing low-level possession to a civil rather than criminal offense.
Recreational cannabis possession remains illegal in Florida. Medical use is allowed.
SURGEON GENERAL
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, whom Trump announced as his pick for surgeon general in late November, is largely known as a TV personality. Nesheiwat has often voiced concern for cannabis use in recent years. But her earlier posts, perhaps reflecting her position on the issue before jockeying for favor with Trump, took a more nuanced approach.
Most notably, in 2018 Nesheiwat said on Twitter, now known as X, "I'm all for medical marijuana. seizures, cancer patients etc."
In years since, Nesheiwat has become famous as a contributor on Fox News as a medical opinion maker, with numerous instances of anti-cannabis stances.
What does she really believe about cannabis? Who knows?
TRUMP HIMSELF
Dating back to his initial run for president in 2016, Trump has repeatedly called for cannabis, like other hot button issues such as abortion, to be settled at the state level.
In 2024, Trump expressed support for moving cannabis from Schedule I, the most illegal of all drugs at the federal level, to Schedule III. He also supported a legalization amendment in his adopted home state of Florida, which failed to get enough votes to pass in November.
Trump's campaign, on the other hand, succeeded.
So, honestly, who knows?
