President Trump’s nominee for White House Drug Czar, who is expected to be confirmed soon by the Senate Judiciary Committee, has expressed strong support for medical marijuana and an openness to nationwide rescheduling.
Sara Carter, Trump’s pick to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (often called the “Drug Czar”), appeared yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing. A vote is expected in the coming days, with a communications staffer for one committee member saying she has “more than enough” support to advance to the full Senate.
Carter, a longtime journalist who has covered issues ranging from the opioid epidemic to border security, has long been open to the medical value of cannabis. She’s said “I do believe that cannabis for medicinal purposes and medical reasons is a fantastic way of handling, especially for people with cancer and other illnesses, handling the illness and the side effects of the medication and those illnesses.”
She has also gone further, noting, “I don’t have any problem if it’s legalized and it’s monitored.”
Carter’s potential confirmation comes as the Trump administration weighs whether to move forward with rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III, a process that began under the Biden administration but was temporarily paused earlier this year. Trump said in August that a decision will come “in the next few weeks.”
If finalized, the shift would officially recognize marijuana’s medical use under federal law. significantly ease restrictions on research, and allow FDA-approved cannabis medicines to be prescribed nationwide. It would also provide tax relief for state-licensed marijuana businesses by exempting them from Section 280E of the IRS code.
During her hearing, Carter was questioned by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) about rescheduling. Carter called rescheduling a “bipartisan issue” and stressed her commitment to relying on research and data.
“If confirmed as director, I will comply with all federal laws and fulfill all statutory responsibilities of the ONDCP,” she said. “However, we will continue to work extensively with research and data. We will continue to do that and explore all options.”
Her confirmation process now enters a critical phase. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote in the coming days. If approved, her nomination will advance to the full Senate for final consideration.
If confirmed, Carter would inherit an office historically tasked with opposing legalization efforts but would do so at a time when 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana and 40 have legalized medical use.
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