Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), says he will defer to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on marijuana rescheduling if confirmed. And he’d “like to review the data” that led to the health agency’s recommendation for the reform before he potentially embraces it—despite his previous, repeated calls for cannabis legalization.
Among cannabis stakeholders, Kennedy’s nomination to lead the nation’s top health agency appeared to be one of the most promising Trump administration developments given his vocal advocacy for ending cannabis criminalization and replacing the policy with a system of regulated marijuana sales, where products are taxed and resulting revenue is earmarked toward supporting substance misuse treatment.
But that is not the message Kennedy sent to members of the Senate Finance Committee in response to a series of questions for the record (QFRs) this week.
Rather than defend his previously stated support for legalization, the nominee declined to even endorse the ongoing process of moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). He said that decision is up to DEA, which has been widely suspected of opposing the rescheduling move since HHS under the Biden administration recommended that reform.
“Do you commit to working with the DOJ and DEA to swiftly resume proceedings on the scheduling of marijuana (which are currently paused)?” a question from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked.
Kennedy responded: “I defer to the DOJ and DEA on the allocation of their resources and the development of their priorities. Consistent with all applicable laws, I will ensure that HHS’s expertise is available to assist those agencies as needed.”
Read the full story at Marijuana Moment
