President Donald Trump made major headlines at a recent fundraiser when he announced that he's considering reclassifying marijuana at the federal level, which Republicans have generally pushed back on over the years.
According to Fox Business, Trump made the announcement "at a $1 million-a-plate fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club," sources familiar with the situation reportedly told The Wall Street Journal.
Cannabis groups have contributed millions of dollars to Trump's various political groups, and it appears as if the contributions could pay massive dividends, as those same groups have fought for years to change the drug's classification at the federal level.
Because it's only legal in various forms in various states, cannabis businesses have had extremely difficult transactional issues, as most major banks and processors have strict restrictions on those businesses, to say the least.
Kim Rivers, chief executive of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies, was one of the guests at the high-end fundraiser, and she clearly used her time at the table to encourage the president to reclassify the plant.
Rivers also urged the president to expand medical marijuana research. Cannabis groups and advocates have pushed the federal government for years to research the plant's greater uses in the medical realm.
Fox News noted:
The potential move to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances and make it a Schedule III drug would make it significantly easier to buy and sell cannabis and make the industry more profitable.
Notably, the Biden administration also pushed for the plant to be reclassified to make it easier to buy and sell and use for medical purposes, but was never able to get it done before his time in office ended.
Though it's mostly Democrats who have attempted to have the drug reclassified or taken off of the controlled substances list altogether, some Republicans have also made the same push.
Fox News noted:
At least 40 states have legalized medical marijuana, while 24 states and Washington, D.C., have also legalized recreational marijuana.
Users across social media reacted to the idea of Trump reclassifying the plant. Some supported the idea, and some didn't.
Trump eyes reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug: report https://t.co/J2Yittesry pic.twitter.com/uiiGv8cHgM
— New York Post (@nypost) August 9, 2025
"It will help the drug dealers. No one goes to jail for a couple joints anymore. @realDonaldTrump don’t do it. Ty," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "A no brainer. Marijuana is no worse than alcohol."
