GOP Senator Calls Cannabis a Gateway Drug

Florida Senator Rick Scott is doubling down on his "gateway drug" stance, even as President Trump pushes forward with a federal rescheduling order. Despite Trump’s move to shift cannabis to Schedule III to open up research and acknowledge its medical benefits, Scott remains a vocal critic. He recently cited personal family loss as the reason for his hardline opposition, though he claims to "understand" the medical side that Florida voters already approved. Scott was even part of a GOP group urging the administration to scrap the rescheduling plan entirely, standing in stark contrast to recent polls showing that a massive bipartisan majority of Americans support legalization.

For those of us in the community, this is a frustrating reminder of the "reefer madness" era lingering in the halls of power. While the President recognizes that cannabis can be a safer alternative to opioids, some lawmakers are still clinging to outdated stigmas. It matters to everyday tokers because these political hurdles are the only thing standing between us and full federal recognition. We’ve got the public support; we just need the remaining holdouts to catch up with the science.