Experts Condemn Trump’s Marijuana Reclassification Move

Drug policy expert Kevin Sabet criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to move marijuana from Schedule III to Schedule I, calling it a dangerous signal on drug use that ignores addiction risks and undermines public health.

Sabet, a longtime critic of marijuana legalization and author of “One Nation Under the Influence: America’s Drug Habit and How We Can Overcome It,” described Trump’s action as “a really bad decision.”

During an interview Thursday, Sabet reacted to Trump’s executive order instructing the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite the reclassification process and expand federal research tied to marijuana and cannabidiol.

“Well, it’s going to still have to go through a process, so it’s … not finished yet. But he definitely expressed his desire to do it,” Sabet said.

Before addressing the policy change, Sabet offered condolences following a deadly shooting at Brown University, describing it as “a stain on our country” and linking violence concerns to mental health and substance abuse issues.

“We really need to look at our mental health issue in this country, the level of mental illness and addiction we have as a country, being the most, you know, voracious country when it comes to drugs and substance abuse,” Sabet stated.

He cited nationwide addiction and overdose statistics, noting that 100,000 people died last year from drug-related causes, affecting 100,000 families and millions more who are addicted but not dead.

Sabet also emphasized that today’s marijuana is significantly stronger than in the past due to higher potency levels. “Today’s marijuana is not the marijuana of the past. It’s much stronger than it ever has been,” he said, adding it has been “genetically bred to increase the levels of THC to levels we’ve never had.”

Sabet disputed claims that medical marijuana use justifies federal policy changes, stating 98% of medical cannabis programs are fraudulent with less than 2% being legitimate.

“The president listened to a couple of his donors and a couple of his golf buddies,” Sabet said. “It was a really bad decision on his part.”