President Trump said he supports cannabis reform on the campaign trail. Since taking office, it’s been a waiting game for advocates on both sides of the issue. The path toward rescheduling is paused indefinitely, although some bills have been introduced to ease federal restrictions on the plant. At this week’s Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago, two industry insiders made some major predictions on the future of federal cannabis reform.
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Weldon Angelos, a former cannabis prisoner and founder of restorative justice non-profit Mission Green, was pardoned by President Trump during his first term. The pair have since worked closely to secure the release of fellow pot prisoners. Angelos was on stage for an exclusive conversation with Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, who has also had intimate conversations with the administration on cannabis.
Both believe that while reform has yet to occur, it is on the way.
“One thing that I learned from working with President Trump last time is that he usually keeps his word—if he says something, he does it,” Weldon said.
The activist acknowledged that progress has been slow, but it is nonetheless moving forward.
“We’re constantly meeting and hearing positive things,” Angelos added. “I think it’s going to take some time, but we’re going to get there.”
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Rivers echoed the sentiment, pointing to the Trump administration’s mantra of “promises made, promises kept.” Both she and Angelos argue the president has softened his stance on the plant, and understands the benefits both personally and politically.
“He has personal experience,” Rivers said. “That’s the biggest change agent that we all have, and that has happened in the president’s sphere of influence. There are friends of his who… utilize cannabis for medical reasons.”
But it’s not just Trump’s friends who are motivating his decision-making, according to Rivers.
“I believe that (Trump) realizes that the political reality of cannabis is that this country is moving towards cannabis, not away from it,” she said.
The Trulieve leader pointed to recent numbers from conservative pollster Fabrizio Lee showing 70 percent of Americans support cannabis rescheduling. Looking at the 18- to 35-year-old demographic, the number exceeds 80 percent.
“That’s the same demographic that this administration was very focused on during the campaign… and candidly, I believe it’s a demographic that’s very important to them in the midterms.”
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Rivers recently spoke with Rep. Brian Mast, a proponent of cannabis reform. He encouraged cannabis operators to do two things to get their message across in Washington. First, invite elected representatives to tour their facilities and educate them on the impact of their businesses in the communities. Second, donate to them in cash and put the business name on it.
“They gotta figure out how to process the cash through their campaign account, and they’re going to have a problem,” Rivers noted, saying the issue could lead to a meaningful conversation about the frustrations of operating in the nascent industry.
While a definitive timeline for federal cannabis reform remains unclear, Rivers and Angelos believe it is near. And if their presentation from Benzinga is any indicator, pro-pot advocates have good news coming soon. Though these predictions seem hopeful, it’s understandable why some have doubts that Trump will deliver on his promises around cannabis, given the lack of meaningful action thus far.
