President Trump Targets Federal Marijuana Laws Whilst Republican Support for Legalisation Dips, Poll Shows

President Donald Trump appears ready to take on federal marijuana laws with an executive order that could land on his desk as soon as next week. But here is the twist: his own party seems to be having second thoughts about cannabis legalisation just as he's preparing to ease restrictions.

Reports suggest Trump is weighing an order that would tell federal agencies to stop treating marijuana like it's heroin. The timing is peculiar—whilst 64% of Americans back legalisation according to October's Gallup polling, Republicans are quietly putting the brakes on an issue they'd been warming to for years.

The Problem With Schedule I

Right now, marijuana sits in the same category as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) refers to Schedule I substances as those with 'no medical use and a high potential for abuse'. It is a classification that's looked increasingly absurd as 45 states have gone ahead and legalised cannabis in some form, either for medical treatment or recreational use.

Trump made his position clear during last year's campaign when he backed Florida's legalisation ballot measure (which ultimately failed). 'I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,' he said at the time. By August, he was openly discussing reclassification, though he acknowledged the split opinions: 'Some people like it, some people hate it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana.'

Republicans Getting Cold Feet

American support for marijuana legalisation has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, jumping from 36 per cent to 64 per cent. However, Gallup's recent polling indicates that Republican enthusiasm is actually slipping backwards. That puts Trump at odds with a chunk of his base just as he's considering federal policy changes that could transform the cannabis industry.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly among the dissenters. According to reports of a 10 December conversation, Johnson pushed back when Trump raised the issue of reclassification. This suggests Trump may face genuine resistance from conservative lawmakers who aren't ready to embrace what they still see as a gateway drug.

Biden Started This Ball Rolling

Trump would not be starting from scratch if he signs an executive order. Joe Biden kicked off a review of marijuana's classification back in 2022. By 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services was recommending a move to Schedule III—a category reserved for drugs with 'moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence'. Biden's team proposed an actual rule change in 2024, but it has been gathering dust since March.

The contrast in Trump's drug policies is stark. He has ordered military strikes on suspected drug vessels off Venezuela's coast, taking an iron-fist approach to international trafficking. Yet on marijuana, he is surprisingly relaxed—probably because the legal cannabis industry has grown too big to ignore and public opinion has shifted so dramatically.

What Reclassification Actually Means

Do not expect to see marijuana shops opening in states that have not legalised it yet. Reclassification would not make cannabis legal nationwide. But it would dismantle significant barriers that scientists face in researching the substance's effects. And cannabis businesses would have fewer hurdles regarding banking and taxes because of federal restrictions.

A White House official stated that 'no final decisions have been made on the rescheduling of marijuana', which suggests Trump is still weighing up whether the political headaches are worth it.

The Political Calculus

Federal marijuana policy has been out of step with reality for years now. When 45 states have legalised some form of cannabis use and nearly two-thirds of Americans support reform, continuing to classify marijuana alongside heroin looks less like principled drug enforcement and more like bureaucratic inertia.

Trump's willingness to tackle reclassification—even as his own party wavers—suggests we may finally be approaching a turning point. Whether he actually signs that executive order next week could determine if federal policy catches up with the rest of the country, or if the cannabis industry continues operating in a frustrating legal grey zone where they are legitimate businesses in state law but criminals under federal statute.