President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Sara Carter, said during her Senate confirmation hearing today that cannabis rescheduling is a bipartisan issue.
During the hearing, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) focused his questions on the administration’s pending decision over whether marijuana should move from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Booker, who has sponsored legislation to legalize cannabis nationwide, called rescheduling “a step in the right direction.”
He reminded Carter that she had spoken favorably about medical marijuana access in 2023 and pointed to testimony from veterans describing cannabis as life-changing for those dealing with PTSD.
“That would finally at least recognize the medical benefits, but it would allow scientists to study the short- and long-term health impacts,” said Booker. “It would open up the door to more scientific study, and so I’m wondering if you were confirmed, how would you advise the American president about the ongoing rescheduling process?”
Carter, chosen by Trump to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, responded that she considers the matter “bipartisan” and said she intends to lean on data and research in her approach.
“If confirmed as director, I will comply with all federal laws and fulfill all statutory responsibilities of the ONDCP. However, we will continue to work extensively with research and data. We will continue to do that and explore all options.”
She added that she has already spoken with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins about the issue, stressing the administration’s commitment to “continued research and data that we will be delivering, and based on that research and data we can continue to assess. I think that is vitally important.”
Booker then criticized existing restrictions that prevent ONDCP from advocating legalization of Schedule I drugs, saying those limits make it “really difficult” to advance scientific understanding. He asked if she would back legislation that simply authorized the office to conduct studies.
“Absolutely I can,” Carter replied. “We will continue to study the impacts of that.”
The move to Schedule III was initiated under the Biden Administration, but was paused by an administrative law judge earlier this year. On August 11, President Trump said his administration was considering the issue and that a decision would come “in the next few weeks”.
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