Roger Stone went on the record this week saying someone inside the Trump administration is actively blocking marijuana rescheduling. His words, not mine — but I have to say, it tracks.
It has been over three months since Trump signed the executive order directing the DOJ and HHS to review marijuana’s Schedule I classification. Three months. And what do we have to show for it? No timeline. No public updates. No sense of urgency from anyone in a position to actually move this forward.
The Holdup Nobody Can Explain
Stone specifically pointed the finger at unnamed officials who he says are dragging their feet on purpose. He did not name names, but he made it clear he believes this is deliberate sabotage from within. Whether you like Roger Stone or not, the man has been around Washington long enough to know when something is being slow-walked.
The DEA was supposed to act on the rescheduling recommendation that came out of HHS review. Instead, we got silence. The executive order was supposed to light a fire under the process. Instead, we got more of the same bureaucratic stalling that has defined federal cannabis policy for decades.
Why This Matters for Small Cannabis Businesses
Here is where it gets personal. I run Divine Tribe, and I have been in this industry long enough to know that Schedule I classification is not just a legal technicality — it is a financial stranglehold on small businesses like mine. We cannot deduct normal business expenses under 280E. We cannot access banking like every other legitimate business. We are treated like criminals while doing everything by the book.
Rescheduling to Schedule III would not fix everything, but it would be a massive step. It would open up research, ease tax burdens, and signal to the financial system that cannabis businesses are legitimate.
“I have been hearing ‘it is coming’ for years now. From Obama, from Trump’s first term, from Biden. At some point you stop believing the hype and start watching what people actually do. Right now, nobody is doing anything.” — Matt, Divine Tribe
Politicians Will Always Let You Down
I am not a partisan guy when it comes to cannabis. Both parties have failed this industry spectacularly. Republicans talk about free markets but will not let us operate in one. Democrats talk about justice but spent decades locking people up for weed.
If Stone is right and someone is sabotaging this from within, it would not surprise me one bit. There is too much money in keeping cannabis illegal — from private prisons to pharmaceutical companies to the alcohol lobby. The question is whether anyone in this administration has the spine to push past it.
I am not holding my breath, but I am watching. We all should be.
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