{"id":79275,"date":"2024-12-03T12:39:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T20:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/12\/03\/trumps-pro-marijuana-decriminalization-dea-pick-withdraws-amid-pushback-from-conservatives\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T19:46:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T03:46:23","slug":"trumps-pro-marijuana-decriminalization-dea-pick-withdraws-amid-pushback-from-conservatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/12\/03\/trumps-pro-marijuana-decriminalization-dea-pick-withdraws-amid-pushback-from-conservatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Pro-Marijuana Decriminalization DEA Pick Withdraws Amid Pushback From Conservatives"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) withdrew from consideration on Tuesday. The Florida sheriff had strongly advocated for marijuana decriminalization<\/a>, calling it the \u201cright thing to do\u201d as \u201csociety is evolving.\u201d And in little-noticed comments, he also argued more broadly that criminalization under the war on drugs \u201cdidn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n

As DEA moves forward in the current federal marijuana rescheduling process, Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister\u2019s past emphasis of the need for an \u201cequitable\u201d and consistent approach to cannabis laws was especially notable.<\/p>\n

However, he bowed out just days after Trump announced his prospective nomination. The development came amid scrutiny<\/a> from conservative lawmakers over the sheriff\u2019s record on COVID-related public safety enforcement actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I\u2019ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,\u201d Chronister said.<\/p>\n

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To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump<\/a> to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I\u2019ve concluded that I must respectfully\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/bvNF8m9Bh4<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Trump announced last week that he intended to nominate Chronister for DEA administrator. If confirmed, he would\u2019ve likely been tasked with overseeing the final rulemaking effort for the reclassification of cannabis. And while rescheduling wouldn\u2019t legalize marijuana, it would help close the existing policy gap between the federal government and the majority of states that have enacted some form of legalization.<\/p>\n

Advocates and industry stakeholders have been closely monitoring Trump\u2019s cabinet selections as they try to assess what the marijuana policy landscape will look like under the incoming administration. The president-election\u2019s choices so far have run the gamut with respect to their individual cannabis records, but DEA administrator is an especially relevant position to fill.<\/p>\n

To that end, it would have represented a major shift in the agency\u2019s history to have a vocal proponent of decriminalization take the wheel. And it comes at a time when DEA\u2019s stance on the Biden administration\u2019s rescheduling proposal remains unclear<\/a>\u2014with certain signals that current leadership disagrees with the reform.<\/p>\n

While it doesn\u2019t appear Chronister has publicly commented on the proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), he personally promoted local reform, including a 2020 move by the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners to treat possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana as a civil offense instead of a misdemeanor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Hillsborough County Sheriff\u2019s Office is in full support and will enforce the ordinance, which will make small amounts of marijuana possession a civil infraction,\u201d he said in testimony in front of the board before it voted to enact the reform. \u201cThis proposed ordinance will ensure fair and equitable enforcement throughout the county, whether within a city jurisdiction or unincorporated Hillsborough County.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ordinance would further serve as a learning opportunity without saddling the individual with an arrest, involvement with the criminal justice system and a criminal record,\u201d he said, adding that the measure \u201cprovides a more efficient utilization of our law enforcement resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Following the vote, Chronister touted the policy change in a radio interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing when it comes to marijuana enforcement now is the fact that it\u2019s fair and equitable anywhere you go in Hillsborough County,\u201d he said on WiLD 94.1\u2019s Orlando & The Freakshow. The sheriff was referring to the alignment of county-wide marijuana laws with those of individual jurisdictions within the county such as Tampa Bay that had already implemented decriminalization policies.<\/p>\n

The sheriff said he wasn\u2019t surprised by the unanimous vote after he\u2019d reached out to the county commission chair and advised that \u201cthis is what I think we need to do\u2014it\u2019s a better utilization of law enforcement resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the right thing to do for a laundry list of reasons. Everybody was on board. I talked to most of the commissioners, and it was phenomenal how supportive everybody was,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cI hated the fact that we were putting too many people in jail for misdemeanor amounts of marijuana, especially this next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s too many people going to jail that are being saddled with the criminal history\u2014that can\u2019t get a job because of a misdemeanor amounts of marijuana\u2014and then we sit back and wonder why we\u2019re not thriving as a community. That\u2019s not hard to figure out\u2026 You have to evolve. You know, society is evolving at a blistering pace. As a law enforcement agency, you have to evolve along with it or you\u2019re going to be antiquated.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The sheriff also took credit for implementing an internal cannabis policy change at his department, making it so prospective employees would not be disqualified for marijuana use that took place more than one year before they applied. Previously, that standard was three years.<\/p>\n

In an interview with The Tampa Bay Times, Chronister also said<\/a> the local decriminalization law \u201cwill \u201cfurther serve as a learning opportunity without saddling the individual with an arrest, involvement with the criminal justice system and a criminal record.\u201d<\/p>\n

The county\u2019s policy that Chronister has promoted stipulates that a first offense for possession of cannabis under 20 grams is punishable by a $100 fine. There\u2019s a sliding scale for subsequent offenses, but the maximum fine for a third offense would be $500\u2014as well as potential mandates for drug screening, education and treatment\u2014before criminal penalties could be imposed. Previously, the law made it so simple possession, even on the first offense, could carry up to a $1,000 fine or a year in jail.<\/p>\n

The sheriff has also talked more broadly about the consequences of criminalizing drug use, signaling that he may be open to scaling back prohibition enfocement for substances beyond cannabis as well. He argued that law enforcement should take a more \u201cholistic approach\u2014a more preventative approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe days of, \u2018hey, listen, we\u2019re law enforcement so we\u2019re gonna lock everybody up\u2014when I started back in the height of the crack-cocaine era, it didn\u2019t work,\u201d he said. \u201cWe put everyone in jail, and we couldn\u2019t understand why we still had a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just being tough on crime. It\u2019s being smart on crime\u2014being smarter on how we deploy our resources and being more preventative, taking this more holistic approach,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s working.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved the local cannabis decriminalization ordinance, Chronister issued a\u00a0press release<\/a>\u00a0saying the reform \u201callows our Sheriff\u2019s Office and the State Attorney\u2019s Office to focus our resources on arresting and prosecuting violent offenders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI commend and thank Commissioner Les Miller and all of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners who worked with us to create fair enforcement and less financially burdensome penalties in regards to marijuana possession. Having consistent enforcement all throughout Hillsborough County is vital. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re in the city of Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City or in Unincorporated Hillsborough County, the same rules will now apply across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January 2020, the sheriff joined the Hillsborough chapter of the NAACP to discuss cannabis decriminalization.<\/p>\n

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Marijuana Conversation, Thu 1\/16\/20 6:30pm, Greater New Salem PBC, 1605 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33602 | Panelists: @TampaPD<\/a> @HCSOSheriff<\/a> @PubDef13<\/a> @SAO13th | Follow @NAACP5139 | @ChowScottPhotos<\/a> & @KetoThePhotoGuy<\/a> #WeFightWeWin<\/a> @ChadChronister<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0X53sDM7wd<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NAACPHillsborough Chapter 5139 (@HillsbrghNAACP) January 8, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Chronister also served on the Florida Drug Policy Advisory Council.<\/p>\n

He was appointed to that job by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who vigorously campaigned against a\u00a0marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot that got 56 percent support<\/a>\u2014but fell short of the 60 percent supermajority needed to be enacted under state law.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t appear that Chronister publicly endorsed or opposed Amendment 3, the recent statewide cannabis legalization measure.<\/p>\n

Chronister was also in the news in 2023 after he announced\u00a0the arrest of a deputy in his office who was accused of selling marijuana edibles to prison inmates that he was supervising.<\/p>\n

In 2022, he was among 64 sheriffs who endorsed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), who later unsuccessfully sought to convince the state Supreme Court to\u00a0prevent this year\u2019s marijuana legalization initiative from qualifying for the ballot<\/a>\u00a0through a legal challenge.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Team On Marijuana<\/h3>\n

In contrast to Chronister, Trump\u2019s pick to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>\u00a0could be a vociferous opponent of marijuana reform if the former GOP Florida congressman that Trump selected for the job, Dave Weldon, is ultimately confirmed.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s pick to run the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also a medical marijuana skeptic, promoting claims that\u00a0cannabis use is linked to cardiovascular issues and mental health problems<\/a>\u00a0for youth. He has also suggested that marijuana is a gateway drug.<\/p>\n

In contrast, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president-elect\u2019s choice for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that oversees FDA,\u00a0supports ending marijuana prohibition and legalizing certain psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0for therapeutic purposes.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s choice for\u00a0surgeon general has said she\u2019s \u201call for\u201d the use of medical cannabis<\/a>\u00a0for certain conditions, but she\u2019s also promoted research linking cannabis smoking to cardiovascular issues.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, pro-legalization former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)\u00a0was recently replaced by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R)<\/a>, who opposed medical cannabis legalization in the state, as Trump\u2019s choice to for U.S. attorney general.<\/p>\n

A non-governmental advisory body that Trump is putting together will have two familiar names helming the ship: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. And while both are proponents of marijuana and psychedelics reform, giving hope to some reformers that the new entity will recommend scaling back the costly war on drugs, Ramaswamy has\u00a0previously insisted on expanding the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was updated after Chronister withdrew from consideration.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Federal Health Officials \u2018Rejected\u2019 DEA\u2019s Request To Testify At Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing, Agency Tells Judge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Trump\u2019s Pro-Marijuana Decriminalization DEA Pick Withdraws Amid Pushback From Conservatives<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) withdrew from consideration on Tuesday. The Florida sheriff had strongly advocated for marijuana decriminalization, calling it the \u201cright thing to do\u201d as \u201csociety is evolving.\u201d And in little-noticed comments, he also argued more broadly that criminalization under theContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79275"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79275"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79276,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79275\/revisions\/79276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}