President Donald Trump reposted a video endorsing “hemp-derived CBD” as worth having covered by Medicare for Senior Citizens on social media.
He reposted it on his social media corporation, Truth Social. The video explains how the endocannabinoid system (ECS) governs how you feel and responds better than medicine to hemp-derived CBD.
“Twenty percent of seniors are already using CBD today for pain, arthritis, cancer system sleep disorders, and many other ailments of aging,” the video said.
The video noted there are insufficient Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regulations allowing CBD to be covered by Medicare.
Stock market speculators were very happy about the news of the video.
The video includes no comment by Trump in his repost of it.
Trump previously promised a decision “in a matter of weeks” on endorsing a push for a reclassification of marijuana. Many are hopeful he will continue to push for a Schedule III reclassification of Marijuana from Schedule I on the Schedule of Controlled Substances.
However, it remains to be seen if he will keep his promise.
Donald Trump, Weed, and National Politics
Initially, during Trump’s first term, his Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatened to end the state-legal cannabis markets. However, that backfired, and he was replaced.
Notably, Trump did sign the 2018 Farm Bill legalizing hemp in his first non-consecutive term.
While Trump might make progress on cannabis, the causes adjacent to cannabis, like overall justice, under him are not doing well.
Many in the male-dominated “manosphere” of entertainment who liked Trump, like Joe Rogan, also like cannabis. But many have become disillusioned due to his inability to address inflation and the new tariffs he imposed. In addition, Gestapo-like ICE raids against immigrants and threats against talk show host Jimmy Kimmel have not been popular.
The Community Project and Cannabis Advocacy
The Commonwealth Project (TCP) made the video that Trump reposted. They advocate for medical cannabis benefits for senior citizens. Their website said it has been involved in the study of medical cannabis on seniors with respected doctors like Dr. Peter Grinspoon.
They were involved in the (DEA) trial legalization process that occurred last year.
Notably, TCP has gotten good press from the politically conservative Fox News.
TCP is backed by Howard Kesseler, who sold a financial services company for billions of dollars. Notably, he is on the board of the Temple University business school in nearby Philadelphia.
Schedule III Marijuana?
Former Democratic President Joe Biden had endorsed a move of marijuana to Schedule III last year. So the DEA endorsed rescheduling marijuana last year and began the process. However, their initial hearing seemed like a rigged circus and went nowhere.
Many leading advocates from New Jersey, including an anti-marijuana one, were part of the trial that went nowhere.
Heady NJ’s sources, who did not want to be named, criticized the process too.
The FDA would regulate a Schedule III drug, which could be covered by Medicare.
However, many feel that Schedule III would empower large pharmaceutical corporations known as “Big Pharma” versus State-legal independent cannabis companies.
Descheduling Needed for True Cannabis Legalization
Some, like pharmacist Anthony Minnitti of the Camden Apothecary dispensary, are very wary of Schedule III marijuana. He believes, like others, that it would be very bad for small businesses. He is not the only one.
Thus, many cannabis advocates for patients, consumers, underground legacy to legal entrepreneurs, independent state-licensed companies, and Multi-State Operators (MSOs) have endorsed descheduling to take it off the list. It was the most popular position in the federal Open Public Comment Period that preceded the trial last year.
This is the position of Heady NJ, along with NJ Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22-Union).
Notably, the large MSO Trulieve has been pushing for Schedule III rescheduling.
A Matter of Time When?
Recent national polls show that a majority of Americans are for the legalization of cannabis. It seems only a “matter of time” before it happens. However, the questions of how and when remain to be seen by Heady NJ.
But, for now, federal taxes, banking, and censorship problems make every step by trailblazing pioneers in the cannabis industry very difficult.
