White House Drug Czar Asserts Marijuana Remains Federally Illegal After Rescheduling
White House drug czar Sara Carter Bailey confirmed that marijuana remains federally illegal despite its rescheduling, emphasizing continued law enforcement focus on illicit grows and high-potency products
Key Points
- 1White House ONDCP director Sara Carter Bailey stated marijuana is still federally illegal after rescheduling to Schedule III
- 2The administration's drug strategy warns about high-potency cannabis and exploitation of state laws by international cartels
- 3Illicit marijuana grows tied to foreign groups and cartels remain a top enforcement target, according to Carter
- 4Congressional Research Service noted the industry is not yet in full compliance with federal law despite rescheduling
In a recent interview, Sara Carter Bailey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), clarified that despite the Trump administration's move to reschedule marijuana under federal law, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. "It’s still illegal," Carter said during an appearance on Newsmax, emphasizing that the new Schedule III classification allows for limited medical and research uses but does not equate to broad legalization. She explained that Schedule III status is designed to facilitate medicinal access and scientific study, not to open the door to widespread legal use
The administration’s latest National Drug Control Strategy, released this week, highlights growing concerns over "high-potency" marijuana products and the exploitation of state cannabis laws by international criminal organizations. According to Carter, "we also have a problem out there with illicit marijuana grows," which she linked to entities such as the Chinese Communist Party and major Mexican cartels. She warned that some illicitly produced cannabis products have reached potency levels as high as 90 percent THC, posing new challenges for law enforcement and public health
Further complicating the legal landscape, Carter referenced the administration's forthcoming crackdown on hemp-derived THC products, scheduled for later this year under legislation signed by President Trump. The Congressional Research Service recently noted that while state-licensed medical cannabis patients and products now enjoy certain federal protections under Schedule III, the cannabis industry as a whole is not yet in full compliance with federal law. "The final order may make it possible for them to comply with the CSA, but may not bring them into full compliance with federal law," the CRS report stated
Carter, who has previously expressed support for medical cannabis, reiterated her nuanced stance: "I don’t have any problem if it’s legalized and it’s monitored," she said in 2024, noting the therapeutic benefits for patients with serious illnesses. Nonetheless, she maintained that the administration's priority is to safeguard Americans from the risks associated with illicit operations and foreign influence. "We should not allow adversarial states or adversaries to be purchasing farmland in the United States, even through straw men, to grow illicit marijuana and to not only poison our people, but poison our soil," Carter emphasized
From the OG Lab newsroom perspective, this clarification from the White House underscores the complex and evolving nature of federal cannabis policy in the United States. The rescheduling move, while significant for medical research and patient access, leaves many legal uncertainties unresolved for the broader industry. Stakeholders should closely monitor forthcoming federal actions, particularly around enforcement priorities and the status of hemp-derived cannabinoids, as the regulatory framework continues to shift
