Trump Advisor Says Cannabis Descheduling Commission Still Planned, Announcement Expected by Summer

The advisor, who told The Marijuana Herald over the summer that Trump intended both to reschedule cannabis and create a separate commission to examine full descheduling, said today that the second phase of that plan is still moving forward. According to the advisor, the administration expects to formally announce the commission by summer, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with preliminary work well underway behind the scenes. The advisor’s comments come as outlets such as the Washington Post and CNBC report that President Trump had a meeting Wednesday where he told House Speaker Mike Johnson he plans to move forward with rescheduling, aligning with recent reporting by The Marijuana Herald. Present at the meeting were RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz, both supporters of medical cannabis, as well as at least two cannabis industry executives.

Despite several outlets including Forbes reporting a White House official as saying “no final decisions have been made” on marijuana rescheduling, the senior advisor told The Marijuana Herald yesterday “This political statement is false. The decision is made. Trump is going to reschedule.”

In terms of timing, the advisor says an official announcement could come “as soon as tomorrow, and definitely no later than early January.”

While rescheduling would have immediate consequences and would be the biggest change in federal cannabis policy since 1970, it would not end federal cannabis prohibition. The proposed descheduling commission is expected to take a broader look at the issue, examining whether marijuana should ultimately be treated outside the scheduling framework, such as alcohol and caffeine, and to study what a post-prohibition federal policy could look like.

According to the advisor, early planning for the commission is already taking place, with White House officials in talks with several potential members. If announced on the expected timeline, the commission would place cannabis policy squarely back into the national political debate as the midterm elections approach.

Taken together, the developments point to a multi-step strategy from the Trump administration: immediate regulatory changes through rescheduling, followed by a longer-term review that could lay the groundwork for more sweeping reforms.

The advisor also acknowledged that the timeline could intersect with developments at the U.S. Supreme Court, which is set to decide on December 15 whether it will take up Canna Provisions v. Bondi, a case that directly challenges the constitutionality of federal marijuana prohibition. A decision by the court to hear the case, and any eventual ruling, could add a significant wrinkle to the broader policy landscape. Still, the advisor said the administration’s plan is to move forward with the descheduling commission regardless of whether the court accepts the case, noting that while a favorable ruling for Canna Provisions could alter certain assumptions, it would not derail the commission’s work and could instead reshape its scope or conclusions.