WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has signaled support for a potentially historic federal policy shift to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, putting his position in line with that of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.
The commonality reflects a major shift toward broad public support for legalization in recent years and marks the first time that both major-party presidential candidates support broad cannabis reform, according to the U.S. Cannabis Council.
The Republican presidential nominee posted on his social media platform late Sunday that he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug," and also said he would be voting “yes” on a proposal to allow the sale of marijuana to adults for any reason in Florida.
Coming shortly before the two will meet for a pivotal debate, Trump’s post sets up the possibility that he could criticize Harris for her past cannabis prosecutions when she was district attorney in San Francisco. Because drug prosecutions disproportionately affect nonwhite defendants in the U.S., the line of attack could also fit with Trump’s efforts to increase his support among nonwhite men.
Harris backs decriminalization and has called it “absurd” that the Drug Enforcement Administration now has marijuana in the Schedule I category alongside heroin and LSD. Earlier in her career, she oversaw the enforcement of cannabis laws and opposed legalized recreational use for adults in California while running for attorney general in 2010.
Harris has absorbed attacks on her prosecutorial record on the debate stage before, most notably from Democrat-turned-Trump supporter Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and announced in 2022 that she was leaving the party.
Trump said during his 2016 run that pot policy should be left up the states. During his term in the White House, though, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions lifted an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the marijuana trade in states where the drug is legal.
The DEA process to change the drug’s federal classification is already underway, kickstarted by President Joe Biden’s call for a review. But the DEA hasn’t made a final decision on the shift, which would not legalize recreational marijuana outright. It may not decide until the next presidential administration, putting a spotlight on the candidates’ positions.
Federal drug policy has lagged behind that of many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing recreational use.
About 70% of adults supported legalization in a Gallup poll taken last year, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 3 in 10 who backed it in 2000. Support was even higher among young voters, a key demographic in seven main battleground states.
“We believe cannabis reform is a winning issue,” said David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs at the U.S. Cannabis Council, in a statement Monday.
The federal policy shift would wouldn’t legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Instead, it would move marijuana out of Schedule I to the Schedule III category, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids.
The proposed shift is facing opposition from advocates who say there isn’t enough data and from attorneys general in more than a dozen states, according to the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
Trump chimed in on the ballot question on the same day that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a fellow Republican who previously challenged him for the 2024 presidential nomination, spoke at City Church Tallahassee, where he ardently opposed two ballot initiatives this November: one to enshrine abortion rights and the other to legalize recreational marijuana.
For months DeSantis has publicly opposed the marijuana amendment, saying it would reduce the quality of life in Florida cities by leaving a marijuana stench in the air.
The Florida Republican Party has also formally denounced the amendment, saying in a May resolution that it would “benefit powerful marijuana special interests, while putting children at risk and endangering Florida family-friendly business and tourism climates.”
Matat reported from West Palm Beach, Fla. Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign event at Central Wisconsin Airport, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Mosinee, Wis. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Riley Leonard passed for three touchdowns and Notre Dame's defense forced five turnovers as the No. 8 Fighting Irish beat Virginia 35-14 on Saturday.
Leonard was 22 for 33 for 214 yards as Notre Dame (9-1) raced to a 35-0 lead and won its eighth straight game.
Leonard's TD passes came in the first half. He found Jayden Harrison with an 8-yard strike, Cooper Flanagan with a 2-year flare and hit Mitchell Evans with a 16-yard pass.
Notre Dame forced the five turnovers in the first half and four led to touchdowns. Xavier Watts intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Adon Shuler and Leonard Moore also had interceptions, while Max Hurleman recovered a fumble. Rod Heard II forced a fumble.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said the takeaways in the first half jump-started his team.
“When your defense is playing as well as we’re playing, it allows you to still be in the game and be in a position to win, maybe when you weren’t having the success you want offensively to start the game,” Freeman said. “And so the defense is doing a heck of a job, and offense is doing a good job, man.”
Freeman hopes that the Fighting Irish will have an opportunity to host a College Football Playoff game. Saturday's game was the final regular-season home contest for Notre Dame.
“Let’s go to work,” Freeman said. “Let’s give this program a chance to play in this stadium one more time.”
Notre Dame capitalized on a Virginia miscue on the opening kickoff, setting up its first score. Former Notre Dame team member Chris Tyree muffed his attempt to catch the opening kickoff, and the ball ricocheted off the turf into the hands of Hurleman, giving Notre Dame possession at the Cavaliers’ 25.
Five plays later, Jeremiyah Love finished off the drive with a 4-yard sprint into the end zone. Love also scored on a 76-yard run in the third quarter and finished with 137 yards on 16 carries.
“I just trusted my ‘O’ line," Love said of his spectacular 76-yard run that was Notre Dame's offensive highlight. "Once I saw a hole, I hit it. I have breakaway speed, so … track meet after that.”
Notre Dame had two possible touchdowns and 151 yards wiped out by penalties in a 10-second span. A Leonard-to-Harrison strike for 78 yards was called back due to a hands-to-the-face penalty against Pat Coogan. A play later, a fake punt in which Jordan Faison raced 73 yards for a score was negated by an illegal formation penalty.
Virginia (5-5) replaced quarterback Anthony Colandrea with Tony Muskett at the start of the second half. Muskett capped a five-play, 75-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run. He also scored on a 2-yard run with 18 seconds remaining in the game.
“They’re not going to quit,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said of his players fighting back from the dismal first half. “They’re going to fight. That’s part of our DNA. You have to have the resilience to just keep battling regardless of circumstances. Proud of the effort to play all the way to the end. We have a lot of coaching to do, lot of teaching to do, lot of improving to do.”
Elliott said that he will make a decision later on whether Colandrea or Muskett will start against SMU. Colandrea, a sophomore, was 8 of 21 for 69 yards with three interceptions. Muskett, a graduate student, was 9 for 14 for 103 yards.
“We’re definitely going to have to go back and evaluate the game and see what gives us the best opportunity the next two weeks,” Elliott said. “We have two good quality quarterbacks that we believe both can give us a chance. No decision is made until we can sit down and evaluate all of the circumstances and the entire situation.”
Virginia's Malachi Fields caught four passes for 81 yards.
Jonas Sanker recovered a fumble and had a sack and another tackle for loss for Virginia, finishing with eight tackles from his safety position.
Notre Dame: A punishing defense set up the offense and helped Notre Dame pile up style points as the window to impress the College Football Playoffs committee narrows.
Virginia: Turnovers sabotaged the Cavaliers' hopes of securing another road upset of a Top 25 team and earning a bowl berth. Virginia, which beat then-No. 23 Pitt 24-19 a week ago, now must beat either No. 14 SMU at home or archrival Virginia Tech on the road to become bowl eligible.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish solidified their hold on a Top 10 ranking with an impressive victory.
No. 8 Notre Dame plays No. 16 Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
Virginia hosts No. 14 SMU on Saturday.
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Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans (88) dives into the end zone as Virginia safety Jonas Sanker (20) pushes him during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
