‘War on Drugs’ crusader Bill Bennett breaks with Trump as White House moves to ease federal marijuana rules
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
Former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett is siding with Trump on much of the administration’s agenda, but drawing a firm line on marijuana policy — arguing the White House should not move to federally reschedule cannabis.
"I love Donald Trump," Bennett said during a phone call to Fox News Digital. "I love almost everything he does, but I don't love this."
Bennett spoke to Fox News Digital Friday in reaction to Trump signing an executive order in December 2025 directing the Justice Department to expedite moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III essentially would treat marijuana more like a regulated medicine, but would not make cannabis legal nationwide.
"This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers, and future treatments," Trump said in the Oval Office of the executive order. "It's going to have a tremendously positive impact."
NY TIMES WALKS BACK STANCE ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, ADMITS LOOSENING OF POLICIES HAS MADE COUNTRY WORSE OFF
Bennett served as President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988, after leading the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier in the Reagan years.
He later became the first director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy — the role commonly known as the nation’s "drug czar" — under President George H.W. Bush's administration, where he advocated for a "war on drugs," including promoting the administration's national drug control strategy that emphasized drug prevention and enforcement of laws against drug use.
He told Fox News Digital that he is a supporter of the majority of Trump's policies, but cannot back rescheduling marijuana, citing its effects on students and serving as a "gateway drug" to addiction and crime.
The former Reagan official told Fox News Digital that marijuana use among young adults overwhelmingly has gone unchecked, as the current culture promotes and accepts the use of cannabis to the detriment of youth health.
"Marijuana clouds focus and attention, which you obviously should have if you're going to school," he said. "So it clouds that, it interferes with that, it inhibits that. It is also the gateway drug. It leads to the use of other drugs. Almost anybody who uses a so-called ‘more dangerous’ drug than marijuana has entered through the portal called marijuana."
'HIGH JANUARY’ FUELS CANNABIS BOOM AS EXPERTS FLAG SOME SERIOUS HEALTH DANGERS
He added that "you can concede the fact that marijuana …
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
Former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett is siding with Trump on much of the administration’s agenda, but drawing a firm line on marijuana policy — arguing the White House should not move to federally reschedule cannabis.
"I love Donald Trump," Bennett said during a phone call to Fox News Digital. "I love almost everything he does, but I don't love this."
Bennett spoke to Fox News Digital Friday in reaction to Trump signing an executive order in December 2025 directing the Justice Department to expedite moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III essentially would treat marijuana more like a regulated medicine, but would not make cannabis legal nationwide.
"This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers, and future treatments," Trump said in the Oval Office of the executive order. "It's going to have a tremendously positive impact."
NY TIMES WALKS BACK STANCE ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, ADMITS LOOSENING OF POLICIES HAS MADE COUNTRY WORSE OFF
Bennett served as President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988, after leading the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier in the Reagan years.
He later became the first director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy — the role commonly known as the nation’s "drug czar" — under President George H.W. Bush's administration, where he advocated for a "war on drugs," including promoting the administration's national drug control strategy that emphasized drug prevention and enforcement of laws against drug use.
He told Fox News Digital that he is a supporter of the majority of Trump's policies, but cannot back rescheduling marijuana, citing its effects on students and serving as a "gateway drug" to addiction and crime.
The former Reagan official told Fox News Digital that marijuana use among young adults overwhelmingly has gone unchecked, as the current culture promotes and accepts the use of cannabis to the detriment of youth health.
"Marijuana clouds focus and attention, which you obviously should have if you're going to school," he said. "So it clouds that, it interferes with that, it inhibits that. It is also the gateway drug. It leads to the use of other drugs. Almost anybody who uses a so-called ‘more dangerous’ drug than marijuana has entered through the portal called marijuana."
'HIGH JANUARY’ FUELS CANNABIS BOOM AS EXPERTS FLAG SOME SERIOUS HEALTH DANGERS
He added that "you can concede the fact that marijuana …
‘War on Drugs’ crusader Bill Bennett breaks with Trump as White House moves to ease federal marijuana rules
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
Former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett is siding with Trump on much of the administration’s agenda, but drawing a firm line on marijuana policy — arguing the White House should not move to federally reschedule cannabis.
"I love Donald Trump," Bennett said during a phone call to Fox News Digital. "I love almost everything he does, but I don't love this."
Bennett spoke to Fox News Digital Friday in reaction to Trump signing an executive order in December 2025 directing the Justice Department to expedite moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III essentially would treat marijuana more like a regulated medicine, but would not make cannabis legal nationwide.
"This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers, and future treatments," Trump said in the Oval Office of the executive order. "It's going to have a tremendously positive impact."
NY TIMES WALKS BACK STANCE ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, ADMITS LOOSENING OF POLICIES HAS MADE COUNTRY WORSE OFF
Bennett served as President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988, after leading the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier in the Reagan years.
He later became the first director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy — the role commonly known as the nation’s "drug czar" — under President George H.W. Bush's administration, where he advocated for a "war on drugs," including promoting the administration's national drug control strategy that emphasized drug prevention and enforcement of laws against drug use.
He told Fox News Digital that he is a supporter of the majority of Trump's policies, but cannot back rescheduling marijuana, citing its effects on students and serving as a "gateway drug" to addiction and crime.
The former Reagan official told Fox News Digital that marijuana use among young adults overwhelmingly has gone unchecked, as the current culture promotes and accepts the use of cannabis to the detriment of youth health.
"Marijuana clouds focus and attention, which you obviously should have if you're going to school," he said. "So it clouds that, it interferes with that, it inhibits that. It is also the gateway drug. It leads to the use of other drugs. Almost anybody who uses a so-called ‘more dangerous’ drug than marijuana has entered through the portal called marijuana."
'HIGH JANUARY’ FUELS CANNABIS BOOM AS EXPERTS FLAG SOME SERIOUS HEALTH DANGERS
He added that "you can concede the fact that marijuana …
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