In another sign that marijuana reform may be taking a back seat amid competing political priorities during the second Trump administration, the Congressional Cannabis Caucus has yet to have a single meeting this legislative session, one of its members tells Marijuana Moment.
Asked about the status of the caucus, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the four bipartisan co-chairs of the group, said it hasn’t convened at this point—even as several cannabis bills have been filed this Congress, including those originating from group members.
“The Cannabis Caucus still hasn’t met yet?” Marijuana Moment asked.
“Nope,” Omar said, while also stating that she’s yet to review provisions of an agriculture spending bill that would ban consumable hemp products containing any quantifiable amount of THC.
A spokesperson for the other Democratic co-chair of the caucus, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), did clarify that while the group itself hasn’t met, staffers for the bipartisan lawmakers have been in touch and they expect a formal meeting of the caucus “will happen” after a key budget bill that’s been occupying much of Congress’s time recently is “processed.”
Marijuana Moment also reached out to the offices of Omar and the two Republican caucus co-chairs—Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Brian Mast (R-FL)—for additional comment on the status of the group and future plans for meetings, but representatives did not respond by the time of publication.
While there are various competing priorities at the time, including key appropriations legislation, it’s struck some advocates as odd that the caucus hasn’t at least held an initial meeting—especially considering that marijuana and hemp issues have been raised this session, including the filing of reform bills such as one from Joyce to end federal prohibition and let states decide on the issue.
Omar and Titus are the newest co-chairs of the Cannabis Caucus, replacing former Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA). In a sense, that makes it all the more notable that the coalition wouldn’t have had an introductory meeting on a bipartisan basis to align on priorities for the 119th Congress, which is now a quarter over.
That said, both Democratic leaders separately talked about the group’s legislative agenda for marijuana reform during a Last Prisoner Project (LPP) event in April.
Beyond filing a bill together—which would remove a restriction that’s prevented the White House drug czar from advocating for the legalization of marijuana or other Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—Omar and Titus previewed bipartisan legislation to end federal prohibition in legal states and free up the industry to access banking services.
To that end, Joyce recently reintroduced a bill titled the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, which would end federal marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized it, while providing for a basic federal regulatory framework for cannabis products.
At the administrative level, there’s increased pressure for President Donald Trump to independently act on reform—including a call for rescheduling and banking access from top athletes and celebrities such as Mike Tyson who are imploring the president to go further than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Trump’s first pick for attorney general in the current administration, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), recently reiterated his own 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.
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.
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.
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Separately, 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.
The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C.
Mike Tyson Tells Trump To Reschedule Marijuana And Free Prisoners In Fox News Appearance
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