Does Donald Trump want to legalize weed? Here's where he stands on marijuana legislation

Marijuana is on the ballot in four states this election and voters may be looking to understand how the presidential candidates weigh in on the hot topic.

Republican candidate Donald Trump has expressed his support for pro-marijuana legislation in the months leading up to Election Day, but he's been skeptical of the drug in years past.

Voters in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida will see marijuana on their ballots. Specifically, ballot measures related to recreational marijuana will be on the table in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota, and medical marijuana will be on the Nebraska ballot. And in Massachusetts, where medical and recreational marijuana is already legal, voters will be weighing in on the possibility of legalizing psychedelics.

But it's not just in these four states that Americans are talking about marijuana. According to a Pew Research Center study published in March, 88% of adults in the United States think marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, with 57% thinking marijuana should be legal for both purposes.

Florida's Amendment 3 asks voters to consider a state constitutional amendment that would allow for the possession, purchase and use of marijuana for non-medical purposes by adults 21 and up. The amendment would also allow the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other licensed state entities to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute marijuana products and accessories.

A vote "yes" on Amendment 3 would instate the constitutional amendment.

"As a Floridian, I will be voting yes on Amendment 3 this November," Trump wrote in a post made to Truth Social, his social media platform, on Sept. 8.

Over the past few months, Trump has expressed more direct support for the decriminalization of marijuana.

During a press conference at Mar-a-Largo on Aug. 8, Trump said that as more states to legalize marijuana, he's beginning to agree "a lot more" with it.

"As we legalize it (marijuana) throughout the country, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, it's awfully hard to have people all over the jails that are in jail right now for something that's legal," Trump said during the press conference.

In his Truth Social post, Trump expanded, "I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use."

According to the Pew Research Center study, 42% of Americans think the effects of legalizing recreational marijuana makes the criminal justice system "more fair."

Also in his Sept. 8 Truth Social post, Trump also said he would like to "focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug."

Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I drug, which are drugs defined as having "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and methaqualone.

Schedule III drugs, on the other hand, are defined as having a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence." Examples are drugs containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.

In May, the Department of Justice, under the Biden administration, moved to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug. However, the DOJ has yet to finalize its decision.

During his presidency, Trump upheld federal marijuana legislation but over the years, he's expressed support for states to dictate their own legislation on the matter. Though he's been critical of recreational marijuana, he's been, for the most part, supportive of medical.

During the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2015, Trump was asked this thoughts on the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

"I'd say it's bad," Trump said in response. "Medical marijuana is another thing, but I think it's bad, and I feel strongly about that. If they (states) vote for it, they vote for it, but, you know, they've got a lot of problems going on right now in Colorado, some big problems. I think medical marijuana — 100%."

A few months later, Trump said during a campaign rally in Nevada that the government should look to Colorado for a better understanding of how marijuana legislation functions.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.