Could Trump’s HHS Pick Mike Stuart Threaten Cannabis Reform?
Hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell will be joined by David Culver, Senior Vice President of the United States Cannabis Roundtable, on our Trade To Black Podcast for February 19, 2025. David Culver will speak on a major shakeup in the administration that could impact cannabis reform—earlier this week, Trump nominated Mike Stuart as lead attorney for the Department of Health and Human Services. We’ll also look at some of the other happenings this week regarding cannabis, including the legislative battles in Ohio.
Cannabis stock sentiment seems to be at the worst point it has been in years. Some CEOs have publicly questioned the legitimacy of inflows into the MSOS ETF, leading to concerns about market manipulation. Additionally, the media has been focusing on Jason Wilde’s stock sales. We’ll share thoughts on this.
There is concern over the appointment of Mike Stewart to the Health and Human Services (HHS) department due to past statements about cannabis. Stuart, a vocal opponent of cannabis legalization, has repeatedly called marijuana a gateway drug and has aligned himself with Jeff Sessions’s hardline stance against state-level cannabis policies. We’ll discuss Mike Stuart’s confirmation with David Culver and whether it could significantly influence the DEA’s upcoming decision on cannabis rescheduling, potentially slowing down reform efforts at the federal level.
The US Cannabis Roundtable is working toward direct engagement with President Trump on cannabis reform. Culver emphasizes that all officials in the administration serve at the president’s discretion, meaning that if Trump decides to push forward with rescheduling, the agencies will follow. The goal is to ensure that industry representatives have a seat at the table when key policy decisions are made.
Meanwhile, we’ll cover the legislative battles in Ohio, where SB 56 aims to roll back key provisions of the voter-approved marijuana legalization law, sparking criticism from civil rights groups and cannabis advocates. In Florida, new polling shows strong public support for cannabis reform, with 67% of voters backing legalization. However, Governor Ron DeSantis remains opposed, raising questions about whether the measure will survive legal challenges.
Plus, former NHL player Daniel Carcillo, now Founder of Experience Onward, a state licensed legal psilocybin center in Portland, Oregon, will join us to talk about the recent appointment of RFK as head of the HHS and what this means for the psychedelic industry moving forward. Be sure to tune in.
