Marijuana Groups Send Trump A Wish List For Upcoming Term, Including Protecting Gun Rights For Cannabis Consumers

Two leading marijuana reform organizations have sent the incoming Trump administration a memo, calling on the president-elect to take a series of steps to enact federal cannabis reforms—including ending prohibition, protecting gun rights for cannabis consumers, promoting banking access for the industry and expanding clemency to people punished by criminalization.

The memo, jointly issued by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and NORML, credits President-elect Donald Trump for endorsing legalization and cannabis banking reform on the campaign trail. And the groups are now providing a roadmap to see those goals through to enactment.

At the center of the organizations’ memo is a request that Trump “end the federal criminalization of marijuana, allowing states to decide cannabis policy without undue federal interference.” During his last term and his latest campaign, Trump did express support for that policy, and he also endorsed a Florida adult-use legalization measure that was ultimately unsuccessful.

Short of ending federal marijuana criminalization, MPP and NORML advised that the Trump administration support the ongoing rescheduling process, issue guidance formalizing a policy of non-interference in state cannabis laws and support a bipartisan bill that would protect banks from being penalized by federal regulators simply for working with state-licensed marijuana businesses.

The memo also states that the administration should ensure that people who use marijuana have their Second Amendment right to buy and possess firearms restored. And it calls for a policy change to make it so past cannabis use is not a disqualifying factor in federal employment.

Additionally, the document says Trump should expand pardons for people with federal marijuana-related offenses, end policies barring people who use cannabis from federal housing benefits, allow Washington, D.C. to implement a system of adult-use marijuana sales and remove barriers to research for cannabis.

While the majority of Americans support ending marijuana prohibition, federal policy “remains stuck in the past,” it says.

“By removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act in a manner similar to alcohol or tobacco, President Trump can reduce federal overreach and increase liberty,” the memo says. “States that wish to continue criminalizing marijuana for adults’ use or medical use would be free to do so. But it would no longer be a federal crime to choose to relax with marijuana or for state-licensed businesses to sell marijuana in accordance with state laws.”

It also cited a bill from Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)—called the STATES Act 2.0—as an example of a “starting point” for federal reform. The legislation would end federal marijuana prohibition in legal states, legalize interstate cannabis commerce, normalize Internal Revenue Service (IRS) policy for the industry and contemplate a federal tax-and-regulate framework for the industry.

“Like alcohol prohibition before it, marijuana prohibition has failed. It has also become quite unpopular,” the joint memo from MPP and NORMl says. “President Trump can lead the nation to sensible national federal policy, which enables states to make their own decisions, and allows for sensible lab-testing and safety regulations. He can also roll back federal overreach that denies Americans their gun rights, work, housing, and federal contracts for relaxing with cannabis.”

“Please don’t hesitate to reach out to explore these and other policies that the second Trump Administration can make to advance liberty and allow states to choose their own marijuana policies,” MPP’s Karen O’Keefe and NORML’s Morgan Fox said.

It’s unclear what marijuana policy during Trump’s second term will look like. Trump’s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) withdrew from consideration last week. The Florida sheriff had strongly advocated for marijuana decriminalization.

For his part, Biden has come under increased pressure to expand his marijuana pardons before his term ends, and the White House said last week there’s going to be “more to come” in the way of clemency actions in the “upcoming weeks,” without specifying whether that will involve people currently incarcerated over cannabis.

A coalition of 14 Democratic congressional lawmaker has separately urged Biden to significantly expand his marijuana pardons and issue updated guidance to formally deprioritize federal cannabis prosecutions before his administration comes to an end.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) are also promoting a drug policy reform group’s call for the president or future administrations to issue an executive order to ensure equity in federal marijuana laws and more broadly shift the country away from the drug war.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 67 Democratic members of Congress has separately called on Biden to expand on his executive clemency work in the final months of his term, citing his past marijuana pardons as an example of his ability to provide “life-changing” relief to Americans.

Biden also recently discussed his administration’s cannabis actions and reiterated his belief that criminalization over minor marijuana offenses is an outdated policy during a speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner.

Top Ohio Lawmaker Wants To Restrict Marijuana Homegrow Rights And Strengthen THC Potency Caps