Embracing Marijuana Legalization Could Help GOP...

President Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general in the current
administration is reiterating his support for rescheduling
cannabis—suggesting in an interview with a Florida Republican lawmaker that
the GOP could win more of the youth vote by embracing marijuana reform.

In an interview on the One America News show he hosts, former U.S. Rep.
Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked Florida Rep. Alex Andrade (R), whether the state
legislator views “cannabis reform as a way for the Republican party to
secure more votes from young voters.”

“Yeah, I do. Mainly, I think it’s just keeping on trend with just being the
most authentic with our policy message,” Andrade replied. “You know, the
vast majority of Americans don’t have Reefer Madness worries or concerns.
They view it as something that has some kind of medical benefit, and I
think that it’s the most authentic position to say we should treat this
like the product that it is, instead of fear mongering about it
continually.”

Gaetz has long advocated for marijuana reform, both in the state
legislature and in Congress, where he was a rare example of a Republican
member who supported a Democratic-led federal legalization bill.

Trump initially selected him to run the Justice Department, but the former
congressman ultimately withdrew from consideration.

RESCHEDULE MARIJUANA https://t.co/mfTC6jHgBB

— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) June 26, 2025

On marijuana rescheduling, the president did endorse the policy change on
the campaign trail. But he’s been publicly silent on the issue since taking
office. Gaetz said last month that Trump’s endorsement of a Schedule III
reclassification was essentially an attempt to shore up support among young
voters rather than a sincere reflection of his personal views about
cannabis.

While Trump’s position on the issue has evolved over the years, including
several past comments supportive of medical cannabis, Gaetz has said the
president is still “totally intolerant” to any reform that “he believes
will increase drug use.”

A survey conducted by a GOP pollster affiliated with Trump that was
released in April found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of
cannabis reforms, including rescheduling. And, notably, they’re even more
supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal
interference compared to the average voter.

Meanwhile, in April, Gaetz said 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.”

The prior month, he separately said that “meaningful” marijuana reform is
“on the horizon” under the Trump administration, praising the president’s
“leadership” in supporting rescheduling.


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Advocates and stakeholders were generally encouraged when Trump picked
Gaetz to lead the Justice Department following his election, even if the
pick was controversial for unrelated reasons. Having an attorney general
who proactively championed reform would have represented a major shift, and
many felt it would have boded well for seeing through the rescheduling
process.

Since then, however, Trump picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
(R) to run DOJ, and the Senate confirmed that choice. During her
confirmation hearings, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate
key marijuana policy issues. And as state attorney general, she opposed
efforts to legalize medical cannabis.

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.

During an in-person hearing before the Judiciary Committee in April, Cole
said examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first
priorities” if he was confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move
forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end
result he would like to see.

DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with
no future actions currently scheduled. The matter sat without action before
an acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway
drug” and linked its use to psychosis. Maltz has since left the position.

Amid the stalled marijuana rescheduling process that’s carried over from
the last presidential administration, congressional researchers recently
reiterated that lawmakers could enact the reform themselves with “greater
speed and flexibility” if they so choose, while potentially avoiding
judicial challenges.

GOP Congressman Behind Hemp THC Ban Says He’s Not Worried About Potential
Senate Opposition To The Proposal

The post Embracing Marijuana Legalization Could Help GOP Win Over More
Young Voters, Trump’s First Attorney General Pick Suggests appeared first
on Marijuana Moment.