In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte established the French Legion of Honor. In 1994, Chef Bernard Loiseau was inducted into this order for his transcendent contributions to French cuisine. It is France’s highest honor, military or civilian. In 2003, he stuck a shotgun into his mouth and blew his brains out the back of his skull.
After a food magazine downgraded his restaurant, rumors began circulating that Michelin would do the same. Rather than see it become true, Chef Bernard took a bow and exited stage left.
This is, to any normal person, an extreme reaction to the opinion of a tire company about your cooking. And I am aware that the normal people are correct. But Chef Bernard was no normal person; Chef Bernard is my hero. He embodied a world in which people aren’t flippant about beauty and craft — the world I want to live in.
My restaurant in Washington, D.C., Butterworth&#8217;s, is in no danger of losing a Michelin star because we have none. But we sweep behind the refrigerators, pressure wash the sidewalk, and prepare food the hard way. Our french fries take three days to make. The sauce for our bone marrow escargot, two. When lamb is on the menu, it is usually a whole lamb, butchered in its entirety down to each cut. We do these things because we cannot help ourselves. Because we aren&#8217;t sure who we would be without it.
Next door is one of many cannabis dispensaries in D.C. Down the block, two more. One block further down Pennsylvania Avenue, three more. They have names like &#8220;BluntSlut&#8221; and &#8220;Highway420” in purple neon and QR codes taped crookedly to the glass. At eleven o’clock in the morning, men stand outside watching videos on their phones at full volume while smoke drifts through the front doors whenever a guest opens it. There have been plenty of nights when I am getting crushed by orders for tartare and steak au poivre while a man in pajama pants leans against a lime scooter and screams into the street.
Washington, D.C.&#8217;s marijuana laws exist in a state of deliberate confusion, which I know because I spent an unpleasant afternoon trying to understand them. In 2014, D.C. voters legalized personal possession. But Congress, which controls the city&#8217;s budget, blocked D.C. from licensing or regulating commercial sales. The result is a market that cannot legally exist and cannot be stopped from existing. For years, the city&#8217;s solution was the “gift economy,”  where if you bought a sticker, marijuana appeared in your hand. It had the logic of children. Then the city cracked down, raided sixty-odd shops, and arrived at its replacement: declare yourself a medical patient by phone in four minutes, walk into a licensed dispensary, and buy whatever you like. The transaction is legal now. The logic is still childish.
It is so glaringly obvious that weed, as it is currently quasi-regulated in D.C., is not working. But no one seems interested in resolving the underlying issues. Congress lacks the attention span, and the city has only barely managed to replace one absurdity with a slightly less absurd one. One week, the city raided dispensaries only to have those same dispensaries reopen under different names with the same employees beneath the same neon the very next week. &#8220;Cloud9&#8221; became &#8220;ZaMuseum.&#8221; Somebody printed new menus, and the whole performance resumed. This week, we have “marijuana lounges” coming, so you can gather with fellow gentlemen and scholars to smoke your weed in person.
I do not especially care if people smoke weed. Civilization has always contained vice. Restaurants are vice. Alcohol certainly is. Butter and cigarettes and beautiful women in black dresses and staying out too late on a Tuesday are, too. Some of the best parts of life are. But D.C.’s haphazard weed culture is not a vice; it’s a cash grab by the dumbest people you’ve ever met, overseen by its laziest.
This malaise seems to be the entire working policy of D.C. Most days feel like the Do Lung Bridge scene in Apocalypse Now. The bridge keeps getting shelled. Music blares in the background. Martin Sheen’s character asks a soldier, &#8220;Who&#8217;s your commanding officer?&#8221; The kid with a machine gun in his hand asks: “Ain&#8217;t you?” 
If you squint, there are times when Pennsylvania Avenue feels vaguely ceremonial. It feels like “The Capital,” “The White House,” “America,” and its great empire. But more soberly, it mostly looks like empty storefronts and a Reddit homepage come to life — a place where you can hand-cut potatoes while down the street somebody sells pre-rolled joints named after cartoon characters.
I do not have Bernard&#8217;s courage. I am still here — still sweeping the sidewalk and butchering the lamb. I have yet to put a shotgun in my mouth. While I take responsibility for every bad meal my customers have or every drink not served perfectly cold, this particular problem is not my fault. In fact, no one can agree on whose fault it is.
Congress says it&#8217;s a local matter. The city says Congress tied its hands. We are led by morons who do not care that the day-to-day exhaustion of this lack of leadership is absorbed by idiots like me, who still show up every day, still caring.
Shortly after Chef Bernard died, Michelin announced that his restaurant would retain all three stars. He never knew. I think about that on the mornings when cooking well is enough and on the mornings when it isn’t.
***
Bart Hutchins is the chef and owner of Butterworth’s. He’s on X @whiteguyfieri.

Soring Dining Guide 2025

For DC’s Hottest Restaurant Weed Dispensaries Are Like A Hole In The Head

Butterworth's

DW Opinion

Marijuana

restaurants

Washington D.C.

A growing push to legalize marijuana in conservative Indiana is setting up a clash among Republican leaders, with Gov. Mike Braun signaling openness to change while Sen. Jim Banks is urging him to hold the line.
The Hoosier State remains one of the few states that largely bans marijuana in all forms, but pressure is mounting as surrounding states have moved to legalize the drug in some capacity.
“I’m kind of agnostic on that issue,” Braun said last month, according to <a href="https://www.wfyi.org/public-affairs/2026-03-21/gov-braun-says-reform-possible-on-states-cannabis-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WFYI</a>. “But when you’ve got four states surrounding you, you’re probably going to have to address it.”
Braun has directed state agencies to meet with pro-medical marijuana groups, <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/indiana-gop-governor-directs-state-agencies-to-meet-with-medical-marijuana-advocates-as-federal-rescheduling-takes-effect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marijuana Moment</a> reported on Monday, as his administration weighs whether to revisit the state&#8217;s longstanding ban.
Marijuana is now legal for recreational use in 24 states, while 40 states allow it for medicinal purposes, according to the <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/state-medical-cannabis-laws#:~:text=Legislative%20Updates,a%20program%20is%20%22comprehensive%22:" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Conference of State Legislatures</a>.
Braun on Tuesday pointed to recent federal movement on the issue, noting the Trump administration&#8217;s decision to reschedule marijuana could make changes at the state level “more likely.” He stressed, however, that any shift in policy should be guided by “what makes sense” and include input from law enforcement.
“You’re going to need to ask the legislators and the leaders in those two chambers to see what they’re thinking, because I’m clear in terms of where I’m at,” Braun said Tuesday, according to the <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/29/braun-signals-openness-to-marijuana-legalization-as-outside-report-outlines-policy-considerations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a>. “You’ve got to take what’s evolved over time.”
“Public safety has always been a top priority for the Governor, which is why Indiana State Police have increased enforcement, drug seizures, and interdiction efforts across the state drastically over the last year,” Braun spokesperson Griffin Reid told The Daily Wire on Wednesday. “Governor Braun is aligned with President Trump &#8211; allowing further research into a substance already legal in some form in 40 states will give law enforcement better tools and clearer guidance, while also helping ensure veterans have access to safe, well-studied medical treatment options.”
Banks, meanwhile, is warning that even limited legalization could carry serious consequences. In a letter to Braun on Tuesday, exclusively obtained by The Daily Wire, the Indiana Republican argued that legalizing marijuana would put public safety at risk.
“Even in states that limit recreational use, addicts are accessing medical marijuana cards—and medical use itself can lead to use disorders,” Banks <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1032899451/2026-04-28-Letter-to-Gov-Braun-Re-Marijuana#from_embed">wrote</a>. “Making marijuana legal does not make it safe, and it does not reduce usage.”
Banks urged Braun to &#8220;prioritize public safety and the well-being of Hoosiers—especially those under the age of 18—and maintain the state’s prohibitions on marijuana use.&#8221;
The senator said he frequently hears from constituents who want stricter controls, not looser ones.
“They tell me about how their children’s lives were ruined by addiction; how they treat the consequences of cannabis disorder in hospitals every day; and how schools are struggling to stop students from smuggling marijuana onto campus using vape pens,” Banks wrote.
Efforts to loosen Indiana&#8217;s marijuana laws have repeatedly stalled in the state legislature, according to <a href="https://www.21alivenews.com/2026/03/25/braun-says-marijuana-legalization-may-need-be-addressed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21 Alive News</a>.
At the federal level, officials from the Trump administration have framed recent changes as an opportunity to expand research and better understand the drug&#8217;s effects.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that the &#8220;rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information.”
“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options,” he added.
&nbsp;

Beautiful green leaves of marijuana close up

Marijuana Push Reaches Deep Red State As GOP Senator Sounds Alarm

Indiana

Jim Banks

Mike Braun

The Trump administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana">moved to reclassify</a> state-licensed medical marijuana, easing research restrictions on the substance and marking the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1437441/dl">signed an order</a> reclassifying FDA-approved products containing marijuana as a Schedule III drug, placing them alongside prescription medications. The administration also announced an “expedited” hearing on June 29 to consider the formal reclassification of cannabis.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Today is another promise made, promise kept day&#8230; The Acting Attorney General this morning signed an order that moves into Schedule III medical marijuana products that are FDA approved or that are state licensed. This is a giant move forward to implement your promise.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ewTDXJpEyX">pic.twitter.com/ewTDXJpEyX</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2047402410784473227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana&#8217;s safety and efficacy, expanding patients&#8217; access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?s=20">Blanche said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Under the decisive leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:
• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl
• Ordering a new,… <a href="https://t.co/DUtqKQgavl">pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
Since 1970, marijuana has remained in Schedule I—the most restrictive category—alongside substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Scheduling of a drug is &#8220;based upon the substance&#8217;s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa">Drug Enforcement Administration</a> (DEA).
<a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Under the Controlled Substances Act</a>, Schedule III drugs are defined as substances with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The DEA considers Schedule I drugs to have &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Trump administration&#8217;s move does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law, but allows cannabis companies to deduct standard expenses like rent and payroll for the first time, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html">CNBC reported</a>.
“Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans,” Blanche said.
In December 2025, Trump first signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/">executive order</a> directing federal agencies to increase medical marijuana and CBD research.
Over the weekend, Trump voiced frustration with the pace of the rescheduling process while signing another directive easing restrictions on psychedelics alongside podcast host Joe Rogan.
“You’re going to get the rescheduling done, right? Please? Will you get the rescheduling done, please?” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xrI-_qo64E">said to White House staff in the Oval Office</a>. “Joe, they’re slow-walking me on rescheduling, okay? You’re going to get it done.”
Two dozen states, along with Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana use, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268">according to the Associated Press.</a> About 40 states have medical marijuana programs, and eight others permit low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical purposes. Only Idaho and Kansas maintain a full ban on marijuana.
In November 2024, voters in Nebraska approved a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Obama Admin. Unveils New Policy Easing Medical Marijuana Prosecutions

Trump Takes Major Step On Marijuana

Drug Enforcement Agency

Drugs

Executive

Politics

Todd Blanche

Trump Administration

Trump Adminstration

The following is an edited transcript excerpt of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mks-ep-1939-sub?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
The war in Iran is in its third week, and the U.S. Army is raising the enlistment age to 42. 
Hearing that news makes me want to pull out the banjo and start playing that old Arlo Guthrie song, &#8220;The Draft Dodger Rag.&#8221; Have you ever heard that song? I actually played it in my little high school band. 
It goes like this:
<blockquote>&#8220;Sarge, I&#8217;m only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I&#8217;ve got eyes like a bat and my feet are flat
My asthma&#8217;s getting worse&#8221;</blockquote>
The whole song is about this guy who doesn’t want to be drafted and is making all these excuses.
How quaint it is now, too. “I’m only 18, I’ve got a ruptured spleen, and I always carry a purse.” The excuse is — “I’m a gay guy.” Under Obama and Biden they were only recruiting gay people. The CIA and the military were putting out commercials about going with your lesbian moms to the pride parade and how that would prepare you for the Army or whatever.
Now the commercials are getting a little tougher. Now they’re going back to just regular old guys — disproportionately white guys, actually — but, you know, just real tough guys.
In any case, they’re raising the age. Why? Does this mean the Iran war will go on for years? Does this mean there’s going to be a draft?
I don’t think that’s what it means. I think it means the world is getting more dangerous.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mks-ep-1939-sub?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1054531 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
From the fall of the Berlin Wall up until September 11, 2001, we had a vacation from history. And even during the global war on terror, only a very small percentage of Americans actually served in the military. The war dragged on forever, but there was no real intense national focus on winning. It wasn’t even clear what the objectives were. They became vague — kind of imperial wars with humanitarian justifications: We need to protect women’s education in Afghanistan.
Now the world is starting to feel a little more real. There’s growing talk of multipolarity, and even the current war in Iran — which has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz — could threaten the petrodollar. The fact that oil is priced and purchased in U.S. dollars gives the United States a massive advantage on the global stage.
You could envision a world — though I’m not betting on it, as Trump still has my full trust — where, if things went south, China steps in, demands that oil be purchased in yuan, and triggers a major shift in global power: multipolarity, or even a China-led order.
All of that means things are going to get more dangerous.
And when things get more dangerous, we raise the enlistment age to 42 — which is a little scary for me. I mean, I barely made the T-ball team — I’m not the most athletic guy in the world. But I just turned 36 — I’m still well within range.
Also, they’re lifting a restriction. Previously, if you had a minor marijuana offense, you weren’t eligible to enlist. Now they’re lifting that restriction. And coincidentally, they’re doing it on April 20th — 4/20 — so clearly someone in the Pentagon is having a little fun with that.
But regardless of whether you can puff a little devil’s lettuce now, what this is telling you — once you sober up — is that the world is getting more dangerous.
The Pentagon is declaring it and we should be listening.

Army Hosts Air Assault Operations Training Exercises At Fort Carson In Colorado

The Army Just Made A Few Changes That Make Me Think One Thing

Iran

Michael Knowles

Opinion

Soldiers

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

The New York Times editorial board expressed concern this week that the massive marijuana craze in America might have some major side effects — besides drowsiness and the munchies.
The Times editorial board, which dedicated a series of articles to pushing for marijuana legalization over 10 years ago, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opinion/regulate-legalized-marijuana.html">admitted</a> on Monday that some of its arguments for legalized weed have been proven wrong after states began allowing recreational and medicinal marijuana use. It seems that many talking points from the pro-marijuana legalization side are falling apart as research uncovers some brutal truths about America&#8217;s pot craze.
&#8220;In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as &#8216;relatively minor problems.&#8217; Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use,&#8221; the Times editorial board wrote. &#8220;It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol.&#8221;
Later, the editorial board added, &#8220;The unfortunate truth is that the loosening of marijuana policies — especially the decision to legalize pot without adequately regulating it — has led to worse outcomes than many Americans expected. It is time to acknowledge reality and change course.&#8221;
It&#8217;s rare for the Times to admit to so clearly pushing a narrative that turned out to be wrong. So, if America&#8217;s pot problem is becoming so evident that even the legacy media is pumping the brakes, how bad is it?
Addiction and other health issues stemming from marijuana use have spiked in the past decade as more states hopped on the pot bandwagon. As the Times pointed out, a large percentage of marijuana users aren&#8217;t just smoking a joint or two on the weekend; they&#8217;re consuming marijuana on a daily basis. According to <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/marijuana-use-disorder">research</a> from Yale Medicine, a staggering 30% of cannabis users &#8220;meet the criteria for addiction.&#8221;
This heavy reliance on marijuana comes with multiple potential health risks, including cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which gives users intense stomach pain and can cause vomiting. At least one recent study has also linked cannabis use to schizophrenia. The <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/young-men-highest-risk-schizophrenia-linked-cannabis-use-disorder">study</a>, published in &#8220;Psychological Medicine,&#8221; found that up to 30% of schizophrenia cases in young men can be linked to cannabis use disorder.
A <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/marijuana-abuse-cannabis-use-disorder-workplace-absenteeism-sick-days/">study</a> conducted by UC San Diego School of Medicine and the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, meanwhile, found that employees who use cannabis regularly were more likely to miss work.
The advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana has also <a href="https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SAM-impact-report-2026-2027.pdf">pointed</a> to research showing that driving fatalities involving marijuana skyrocketed between 2000 and 2018. Kevin Sabet, the president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told The Daily Wire that legalization leading to increases in addiction was &#8220;absolutely predictable.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite the promises of the legalizers, federal data show that (just as the Times notes) legalization drives use, including youth use increases,&#8221; Sabet said. &#8220;This is true in the national aggregate and in individual state data. It’s not rocket science: If you make a powerful addictive drug easier to access (and send the signal that it’s OK to use in the process), more people are going to use it. That is what I and many other people who were aware of the danger warned would happen and it is precisely what did happen.&#8221;
Now that nearly half the country has legalized marijuana in some or all forms, Sabet said the best path forward is for &#8220;states to focus on making sure that people, and above all young people, know how dangerous and destructive marijuana is: a permanent investment in infrastructure meant to promote prevention and awareness.&#8221;
&#8220;And it’s beyond important to remember here what the Times piece truly reveals,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Namely, that while people may disagree about policies and execution, they are now all agreed on the same set of facts. And those facts show beyond doubt that marijuana is dangerous, addictive, and creating havoc across America.&#8221;
The data pointing to some of these issues was available when the Times editorial board began publishing its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/27/opinion/sunday/high-time-marijuana-legalization.html?op-nav">series</a> arguing for federal legalization. In a 2014 <a href="https://www.nber.org/digest/oct14/consequences-legalizing-marijuana?page=1&amp;perPage=50">paper</a>, researchers Hefei Wen, Jason M. Hockenberry, and Janet R. Cummings found that marijuana legalization led to an increase in marijuana abuse and dependence. The 2014 paper also found that as legalization surged, so did the rate at which adolescents experimented with the drug.
Ironically, the Times editorial board&#8217;s shift on marijuana coincides with the federal government in the process of reforming how it regulates the drug. In December, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reclassifies-marijuana-at-federal-level-we-have-people-begging-for-me-to-do-this">signed</a> an order to open the door to reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, meaning marijuana would be in the same <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling#:~:text=Schedule%20I%20drugs%2C%20substances%2C%20or,)%2C%20methaqualone%2C%20and%20peyote.">category</a> as drugs that have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” For decades, the U.S. government has categorized marijuana as a Schedule I substance, which is defined as &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.&#8221;
The U.S. government&#8217;s potential reclassification would not legalize marijuana at the federal level, but it could reduce the scale of marijuana-related offenses. As the president was considering the marijuana reclassification last year, nearly 50 organizations signed a letter urging Trump to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I drug, arguing that marijuana &#8220;fits squarely&#8221; in the definition of a Schedule I drug, &#8220;a fact acknowledged in every scheduling review prior to 2023.&#8221;

Marijuana USA

20 Million Americans Say They’re Always High, And Even Liberals Recognize The Craze Has Gone Too Far

Leftists

New York Times

Social Issues

U.S.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to clear the way for making marijuana a Schedule III drug, which brings along reforms in how the federal government regulates the substance.
The order means the drug will no longer be classified under Schedule I, which is at the same level as heroin, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/18/trump-pot-reclassification-cannabis-stocks-medicare-cbd.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>. This does not make it legal nationwide, but it allows for more research and enables marijuana sellers in states where it’s legal to take advantage of tax write-offs at the federal level, <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trump-signs-executive-order-to-reclassify-marijuana-by-removing-it-from-schedule-i/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marijuana Moment</a> reported.
“Today I’m pleased to announce that I will be signing an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,” the president said at an event in the Oval Office on Thursday.
“We have people begging for me to do this. People that are in great pain. For decades, this action has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems, and more, including numerous veterans with service-related injuries and older Americans who live with chronic medical problems that severely degrade their quality of life,” he continued.
The president stressed that the order does not mean that recreational marijuana is legal nationwide.
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“I want to emphasize that the order I am about to sign is not the legalization; it doesn&#8217;t legalize marijuana in any way, shape, or form and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug,” he said. Twenty-four states have made recreational marijuana legal, with many more having laws regarding its medical use.
However, the reclassification got some conservative pushback before it was formally announced in recent days.
Over two dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the president earlier on Thursday opposing the reclassification.
“Reclassifying marijuana would send the wrong message to our children, worsen addiction, undermine public safety, and hand billions in tax relief to the marijuana industry and foreign criminal cartels. Marijuana has no proven medical value, increases roadway danger, and fuels addiction,” Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) posted to X.
“We must keep it classified as a Schedule I substance under DEA regulations and put families, public safety, and America’s future FIRST!” he added.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doobie-debate-blazes-groups-urge-trump-to-reject-flawed-weed-reclassification-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported in August that roughly 50 groups also sent a letter opposing the move, writing that the president has “an opportunity to make a stand for the safety of children across America by opposing the flawed proposal to reschedule marijuana.”

Donald Trump

Trump Reclassifies Marijuana At Federal Level: ‘We Have People Begging For Me To Do This’

As history shows, nearly every civilization has progressed and evolved using some form of alcohol. But no civilization in history has ever experimented with the types of industrialized THC products Western countries are now recklessly legalizing, commercializing, and normalizing. We might pause to ask ourselves why zero Asian countries have done so and why China is so anxious <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/06/24/1238497863/chinese-marijuana-farms-new-mexico">to promote</a> this cultural suicide weapon here.
A 2023 <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01917-8/fulltext__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaIIr-JHw$">global study</a> on life expectancy showed we are back to pre-pandemic levels with one notable exception: Teens and young adults in Western countries are dying at higher rates, driven largely by suicides and substance use.
Traffic fatalities continue to be a major cause of death in young adults, which is one reason The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh has been vocal about <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mattwalsh_/video/7559991047514836237">his opposition</a> to the legalization of marijuana. In fact, a recent study of dead drivers in a major Ohio county morgue found that 42% of them tested <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/fatal-crash-report-finds-nearly-half-deadly-wrecks-tied-illegal-drug">positive for THC</a>. 
Pot apologists quickly jumped to their defense, noting that THC can be detected for up to a month after use. But the national past 30-day marijuana use rate <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/08/facts-about-marijuana/">is only 16%</a>, yet these drivers had average THC levels 5 to 10 times the state legal limits.
Some will argue, “Well, it&#8217;s no worse than alcohol.”
Marijuana use, however, is associated with <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6296897/#:~:text=Analyses%20revealed:%201)%20daily%20marijuana,marijuana%20use%20and%20negative%20consequences.">more alcohol</a> consumption, and marijuana users are <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/marijuana-smokers-five-times-more-likely-develop-alcohol-problem">five times</a> more likely to become alcoholics. It has also been reported that up to 40% of marijuana users <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/daily-marijuana-use-is-now-more-common-than-daily-alcohol-use-in-the-u-s-new-study-finds">use daily</a>, and up to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/marijuana-use-disorder__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAta8e51DO8$">30% meet criteria for addiction</a> — both far higher percentages than for drinkers. Using alcohol to excuse marijuana use or legalization is simply an exercise in lazy whataboutism.
Speaking of which, THC strongly induces suicidality even in patients who were not depressed to begin with, and state legalization has led to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.01.1.15__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAta6a4o0FY$">sharp increases</a> in youth suicides. Up to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heavy-cannabis-use-linked-to-schizophrenia-especially-among-young-men/__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaHeiA8hc$">30% of schizophrenia</a> cases in young men are attributable to THC use now.
Marijuana smoke is also causing the same <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/health/marijuana-head-and-neck-cancer-wellness/">type of cancers</a> as tobacco smoke, while also <a href="https://www.tctmd.com/news/cannabis-use-again-tied-increased-cvd-risk-young-people">dramatically increasing</a> the risk of heart attacks and strokes in younger users. Further, as the American College of Cardiology <a href="https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2025/06/04/14/21/Chronic-Marijuana-Smoking">reports</a>, THC has been shown to cause damage to major blood vessels regardless of the mechanism of ingestion.
Add to this the well-known adverse effects on <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/124806/long-term-cannabis-blunt-brains-motivation-system/">motivation</a> and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4586361/">educational</a> achievement, and the costs of the cannabis culture to government budgets are simply staggering. One study on the costs of legalization in Colorado, for example, conservatively <a href="https://centennial.ccu.edu/briefs/marijuana-costs/">estimated</a>, “For every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spent approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” And that’s even at a 15% sales tax rate.
While there is simply no conservative case for the legalization of marijuana, the libertarian case suffers from serious flaws. First of all, the utopian assumption that legalization would lead to a “safe and regulated” product that would eliminate the black market has now gone 0-for-24 in our marijuana legal states. Many legal THC products are <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://viiahemp.com/collections/high-thc__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaX4gqjCQ$">more potent</a> than ever before, even more than the now highly potent plant itself. The industry has defied <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VkrWO8H08Q">regulation</a>, and the black markets are <a href="https://alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu/cannabis-black-market-thrives-despite-legalization/">thriving</a>. Legalizing marijuana to eliminate the black market is like giving your dog ticks to rid it of fleas. You just double the infestation.
More importantly, substances like THC are the exception that proves the libertarian rule. Libertarianism works when people are free to act in their own best interest and, by extension, their family, community, and country. Chemicals like THC are designed to promote the opposite type of citizen. Libertarians should be the most opposed to the drug culture because it undermines the very foundation of their ideology.
The <a href="https://learnaboutsam.org/2025/06/leading-experts-warn-marijuana-rescheduling-driven-by-politics-in-stunning-jama-psychiatry-report/">politically</a> driven potential rescheduling of marijuana will only fuel this destructive industry with tax breaks and marketing privileges. Republicans should note that young male voters <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-young-men-voters-election-latinos-democrats-ff30e38698a41132cf90345fffabe579">moved to the Right</a> last November while radical Democrats were still enticing them with more weed.
Much attention has been paid to the influence of transgender ideology on the radicalization of Charlie Kirk’s assassin. But as we saw with the transgender school shooter in Minneapolis, THC may have also played a role. As discussed in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/Z1b3TYJli5A?si=vXQjsRYLTa6VQdWz&amp;t=1252">recent episode</a> of the Liz Wheeler show, a close friend of the suspected Utah assassin reported rampant drug use in his apartment and that “We’d have a mostly weekly magic night at the apartment where everyone would come drink, get high and play magic.”
Charlie Kirk gave his generation more credit than some in the GOP. Despite the criticism, he stood up to the lies of the THC industry. Republicans will never outbid Democrats in the race to the drug culture bottom. Nor should they, as <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/648821/americans-views-marijuana-effects-worsen.aspx">polls show</a> we may have already reached the bottom, with public sentiment now turning against marijuana.
Charlie knew that minds can be changed, but facts cannot. Truth and the future of this great country are worth standing for, regardless of the cost. 
Principled conservatives should do more than eulogize Charlie. They should emulate him.
* * *
Matt Poling is a physician, Medical Director of Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, and Faculty Advisor for Texas A&amp;M Young Americans for Freedom. <a href="mailto:mpoling@sw.org">mpoling@sw.org</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. 
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Close-up of young adult man rolling a marijuana joint on blur background.

The High Cost Of Getting High: How Legal Weed Is Destroying A Generation

Cannabis: A Cultural Suicide Weapon

Alcohol

Cancer

China

Mental Health

A week ago, President Donald Trump <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2025/08/11/trump-says-marijuana-rescheduling-will-be-decided-within-weeks/">said</a> that he would soon decide whether to move cannabis from Schedule I to III for purposes of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA), which would take marijuana out of the category of drugs that cannot be used for any purpose. Doing so would be a huge mistake. Huge.
Congress placed cannabis in Schedule I — the category for drugs that have no legitimate medical use, that are potentially addictive, and have no safe use even under a physician’s supervision — when it passed the CSA 55 years ago. While Congress empowered the U.S. Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to reschedule cannabis, in the ensuing half-century, no Republican or Democratic attorney general has done so, and no court has ruled that they must do so.
In 2023, however, cannabis advocates finally found a friend. Admiral Rachel L. Levine, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health under President Biden, <a href="http://www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2834954">recommended</a> that Attorney General Merrick Garland transfer cannabis into Schedule III. To justify that conclusion, Levine invented a newfangled test that relied heavily on the fact that multiple states have adopted medical cannabis programs. As a matter of law, that rationale is wrong for multiple reasons.
First, Congress could not have been clearer that it is the exclusive responsibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), not the states, to decide whether a drug is safe, effective, and uniform. Levine’s rationale effectively and unlawfully transfers decision-making authority from the FDA to the states.
Second, the FDA has never approved the botanical form of cannabis as a safe, effective, and uniformly made drug. The FDA has approved the synthesis of compounds found in the plant by legitimate pharmaceutical companies, but has not approved the interstate distribution of the cannabis plant enjoyed by Cheech and Chong and Harold and Kumar fans.
Third, the FDA could not find that the cannabis plant is safe, effective, and uniformly made.
Start with its safety. The cannabis sold today is <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">far more powerful</a> than the version smoked at Woodstock. At that time, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content — the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — was 3-6%. Now, some concentrated cannabis products can have a 90% THC content. That difference is like comparing near beer to grain alcohol.
Growing evidence also links cannabis use to a host of <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">adverse physical outcomes</a>, such as oral, head, and neck cancers; cardiovascular disorders; pulmonary disease; and numerous adverse psychological effects, such earlier onset of psychosis; reduced IQ; childhood poisonings; amotivational syndrome; increased school absenteeism; and a reduced likelihood of graduating high school, enrolling in a university, or completing higher degree requirements. Heavy cannabis users and people who begin its use as minors and continue into adulthood are particularly <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">susceptible</a> to these harms.
Plus, botanical cannabis can be adulterated with a host of dangerous, unhealthy, or downright disgusting contaminants. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told Congress in 2020 that “individuals across the country are using cannabis strains and extracts that have not undergone the rigorous clinical trials required to show that they are safe and effective for medical use, and are not regulated for consistency or quality.”
As I explained in an <a href="https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">earlier article</a>, among the “hodgepodge” of dangerous contaminants found in the cannabis sold today are E. coli, fungi, mold, toxins, hazardous chemical solvents such as butane and propane, pesticides, heavy metals (such as arsenic, lead, and mercury), and other harmful and disgusting substances such as formaldehyde and insects. The FDA would never allow such contaminants to be present in any drug sold to the public.
Cannabis can also lead to physical dependence in users. Heavy or long-term use can lead a person to develop a tolerance to THC, requiring ever greater quantities of the chemical to experience the same euphoria. As drug policy experts Wayne Hall and Rosalie Pacula have explained, there is a 10% risk of addiction for people who have ever used cannabis, a 20-33% for people who use it more frequently, and a 50% risk — &#8220;<a href="https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">a coin flip</a>” — for people who use it daily. Driving while stoned can, of course, lead to motor vehicle accidents that maim or kill pedestrians or other drivers and their passengers.
Keep in mind that the FDA has <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">never</a> given approval for a drug to be smoked. Why? There is no uniform depth or length of any one inhalation, and no uniform number of inhalations that users follow. Moreover, the nation concluded over 60 years ago that smoking burnt carbon products damages a smoker’s health, which explains why major medical institutions such as the American Medical Association, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Royal College of Physicians have <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">not</a> recommended smoking as a legitimate drug delivery system.
The raw cannabis plant also is not “effective” for purposes of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Only a handful of controlled studies have examined whether pot can be used as a legitimate treatment for disease or injury; the results are <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/09/17-2-Larkin-Madras.pdf">inadequate</a> to draw any scientific conclusion.
The most common justification offered is that its psychoactive calming effect makes it a legitimate analgesic alternative for pain. But that argument is medically <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/09/17-2-Larkin-Madras.pdf">unsound</a>. Cannabis is too weak to substitute for opioids as a treatment for severe pain — indeed, it hinders cessation of opioid use by anyone trying to kick an opioid <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4127123/pdf/nihms609765.pdf">dependency</a> — and scientific proof that THC is a valid treatment for lower levels of pain is also lacking.
To be sure, smoking a joint can get you “high,” but that is not the test for a medicine’s effectiveness. As Dr. Peter Bach, Director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-weed-is-medicine-so-is-budweiser-11547770981?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAh7LaDEYv_vcqs-izvRtTLHvE4_TMMU_qu3NyDxy9OXughPlX3zaBL-&amp;gaa_ts=689c8e99&amp;gaa_sig=tzI2Ti78lH5zRhqIjd3w0ZVcT308pAa8r1GA3Re1URauoN8dYXnoBs5EqZYAmoitDwKaFsuYPpeZooGzKZ9AwA%3D%3D">explained</a>, “[E]very intoxicant would pass that sort of test because you don’t experience pain as acutely when you are high. If weed is a pain reliever, so is Budweiser.”
Finally, the cannabis plant is not a <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">uniformly made product</a>. As Brian Thomas and Mahmoud ElSohly <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">explained</a> in their book The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis, “The number of parameters on which cannabis can vary is enormous,” and differs according to “strain, growing conditions, harvesting methods and handling,” to “storage and processing of the raw material to combining them with a wide variety of foods and other excipients in manufacturing, and to “methods of administration (eating, smoking, ‘vaping,’ applying to mucous membranes)” and so forth.
Botanical cannabis also varies according to potency and the presence of cannabinoids (i.e., biochemically active compounds), which tends to <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">offset or moderate</a> the potential adverse effects of high THC consumption, such as anxiety, cognitive impairment, amotivational syndrome, dependence or addiction, and psychosis.
In sum, the Levine recommendation from 2023 is wrong as a matter of law and medically unsound, indeed dangerous. If the President truly wants to Make America Healthy Again, he should reject that recommendation.
* * *
Paul J. Larkin is the John, Barbara &amp; Victoria Rumpel Senior Legal Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Trump Administration Considers Reclassifying Marijuana As A Less Dangerous Drug

Dude, Rescheduling Cannabis Downwards Would Be A Huge Mistake. Huge.

addiction

Congress

Federal Government

Nearly 50 organizations signed a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Monday, urging Trump to keep Marijuana labeled as a Schedule I drug after the administration sparked fierce debate when it announced it was considering downgrading weed&#8217;s classification.
The groups — which include faith-based, law enforcement, public policy, and health care organizations — argue that downgrading marijuana&#8217;s classification would &#8220;result in serious harm to public health and safety,&#8221; according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Daily Wire. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sparks-debate-with-comments-on-reclassifying-weed">raised eyebrows</a> earlier this month when he said during a White House press briefing that his administration would “make a determination over the next few weeks” on whether to reclassify marijuana.
During his comments on the drug, Trump acknowledged that marijuana can have negative effects on people, especially children. The organizations behind Monday&#8217;s letter to Trump hope that the president will continue to consider the health of American children when his administration reviews weed&#8217;s classification.
&#8220;You have an opportunity to make a stand for the safety of children across America by opposing the flawed proposal to reschedule marijuana,&#8221; the letter states.
&#8220;Arguments like &#8216;marijuana should not be in the same category as heroin&#8217; are politically salient and easy to understand, but they fundamentally misunderstand how drug scheduling works,&#8221; the letter continues. &#8220;Contrary to popular belief, drug scheduling is not a harm index. Rather, it balances the accepted medical use of a substance with its potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs have no accepted, safe medical use and a high potential for abuse. Marijuana fits squarely within this definition, a fact acknowledged in every scheduling review prior to 2023 (the Obama Administration recommended against rescheduling in 2016).&#8221;
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Discussions within the Trump administration have focused on classifying the drug as Schedule III, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-marijuana-federal-drug-classification-01a73b8c?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAgpZ8UL7Mw6HKwBVKPjsmn_wP6A2h8SNZiG41aF9hPed4QVwq2_gG6R&amp;gaa_ts=6897fc20&amp;gaa_sig=Nm9TnTCPjVnNlMv_P1PaH_NVhN3Nn8RbA8H9lDEnLY0FBfl1b_Sd78D-SH_icaL7fTnMQ1iwaisKOLJA0cNS5g%3D%3D">reported</a>. Reclassifying marijuana as <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Schedule III</a> would put the drug in the same category as drugs that have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
The issue has divided Americans, including those who are among Trump&#8217;s base. The president told reporters on August 11 that marijuana is &#8220;a very complicated subject.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve heard great things having to do with medical [marijuana], and I’ve [heard] bad things having to do with just about everything else,&#8221; he said.
Among the groups pushing Trump to keep marijuana drug classification the same are the National Narcotic Officers&#8217; Associations&#8217; Coalition and the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents (DEAFNA). Conservative groups such as CatholicVote and the Family Research Council also signed the letter.
The letter points out that findings from the Centers for Disease Control <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/cannabis-use-disorder.html">show</a> that 30% of cannabis users meet the clinical definition of having cannabis use disorder, and cannabis users have a 30% chance of getting addicted. Marijuana is also getting stronger.
&#8220;The amount of THC in cannabis has increased over the past few decades. Products with high concentrations of THC can have greater intoxicating effects and increase the risk of overconsumption,&#8221; the CDC stated. The government agency added that there is some evidence &#8220;that high THC concentration cannabis use by adolescents and young adults is associated with continued use and development of future mental health symptoms and disorders.&#8221;
Eric Brown, president of the National Narcotic Officers&#8217; Association Coalition said that narcotics officers witness the &#8220;far-reaching consequences&#8221; of marijuana abuse &#8220;every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Efforts to reschedule marijuana risk sending the wrong message — that the substance is safe — while ignoring the science and significant dangers associated with its use,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Rescheduling would only accelerate marijuana consumption, driving higher rates of substance abuse and increasing demands on already strained public safety resources and budgets. We strongly urge the Administration to reject any effort to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.&#8221;
The groups also argued that &#8220;Marijuana has not been approved for any medical use by the FDA, and it likely never will.&#8221; While it&#8217;s true that the FDA has not approved marijuana itself to be prescribed for any medical condition, the agency has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-cannabis-research-and-drug-approval-process#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20the%20FDA%20has,currently%20available%20on%20the%20market.">approved</a> purified forms of the drug, such as Epidiolex, which treats seizures.
&#8220;The agency also has approved Marinol and Syndros for therapeutic uses in the United States, including for nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients,&#8221; the FDA stated.
Proponents of downgrading marijuana&#8217;s classification point out that moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III wouldn&#8217;t legalize the drug at the federal level, but would only reduce the scale of marijuana-related offenses. Some states have passed laws legalizing recreational and medical marijuana use, and legalization has become a hot topic in recent years, as pro-cannabis groups have pushed politicians, including Trump, to join their side on the issue.
The pro-weed coalition is moving the needle in their direction on public opinion — and not just on reclassifying weed, but also legalizing it at the federal level. A Pew Research <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/03/26/most-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana-for-medical-recreational-use/">poll</a> conducted last year showed that a majority of Americans (57%) believe that both medical and recreational marijuana should be legal, and 32% said it should be legal for medical use only. Just 11% of respondents said marijuana should be illegal.
Trump addressed the issue at the White House earlier this month after he floated the idea of reclassifying marijuana during a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month, according to the WSJ. Among the guests at the golf club when Trump hinted at the move was Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies in the United States.
Trump also sided with the pro-marijuana crowd last year in Florida, when he voted to legalize recreational use of the drug in his home state. The marijuana amendment push in Florida received 56%, falling just short of the 60% needed to pass it into law. Legalization efforts also failed in North Dakota and South Dakota last year.
A White House official told the WSJ earlier this month that Trump wants to take on issues like marijuana that are viewed as “80-20 cultural issues.” If the president were to take the side of weed proponents, it could also help him and Republicans among independent and young voters in the 2026 midterms.
But according to the group of organizations pushing Trump to say no to downgrading the drug, the risks of reclassifying marijuana far outweigh any potential electoral advantage such a move would give Republicans. The letter highlights how a reclassification of marijuana to Schedule III would end marijuana test requirements for people with numerous important jobs.
In 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/news/Documents/DEA-Schedules-of-Controlled-Substances-Rescheduling-of-Marijuana.pdf">said</a> that &#8220;HHS-certified laboratories used for such testing are not authorized to test for Schedule III controlled substances. This would mean that airline pilots, airline maintenance workers, bus and truck drivers, locomotive engineers, subway train operators, ship captains, pipeline operators, personnel transporting hazardous materials, and other safety-sensitive transportation employees would be prevented from being tested for marijuana use.&#8221;
Downgrading marijuana to Schedule III would also give dispensaries massive tax breaks, the group points out, arguing that &#8220;street dealers and dispensaries alike would be able to receive reductions for promoting or marketing the sale of addictive drugs.&#8221; In the letter, the group also states that international drug cartels and Chinese money launderers that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/marijuana-mexican-cartels-stunning-rise-chinese-money-launderers-rcna158030">operate</a> marijuana farms in the United States could also benefit from a major tax break if weed is rescheduled.
According to the group urging Trump to keep marijuana a Schedule III drug, America&#8217;s drug problem would only get worse if the federal government takes a more lenient stance on weed. Travis Weber, the vice president for Policy and Government Affairs at the Family Research Council, said, “The deep pain and crisis of meaning that many in our nation are facing will not be made better by encouraging even more drug use, which is what rescheduling would do. Taking substances to temporarily “treat” our mind and body alone can never solve what is really a spiritual problem. Drugs won’t fill the void inside and heal our pain. Only Jesus can do that.”
Read the full letter below:
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964655 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_2-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_2-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_2-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_2-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_2.jpg 791w" sizes=" (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964657 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_3-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_3-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_3-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_3-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_3.jpg 791w" sizes=" (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964659 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4.jpg 791w" sizes=" (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964661 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5.jpg 791w" sizes=" (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964663 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6.jpg 791w" sizes=" (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>

Marijuana, Donald Trump

Doobie Debate Blazes: Groups Urge Trump To Reject ‘Flawed’ Weed Reclassification Push

Law Enforcement

Police

President Donald Trump said on Monday that his administration will &#8220;make a determination over the next few weeks&#8221; on whether to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
During a press conference in the White House Briefing Room, Trump was asked about a Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-marijuana-federal-drug-classification-01a73b8c?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAgpZ8UL7Mw6HKwBVKPjsmn_wP6A2h8SNZiG41aF9hPed4QVwq2_gG6R&amp;gaa_ts=6897fc20&amp;gaa_sig=Nm9TnTCPjVnNlMv_P1PaH_NVhN3Nn8RbA8H9lDEnLY0FBfl1b_Sd78D-SH_icaL7fTnMQ1iwaisKOLJA0cNS5g%3D%3D">report</a> stating that he was considering a possible marijuana reclassification, an issue that has caused some division among Trump&#8217;s base. The president acknowledged that marijuana reclassification is a &#8220;very complicated subject.&#8221;
&#8220;Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana because if it does bad for the children, it does bad for people older than children,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a very complicated subject, the subject of marijuana,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I&#8217;ve heard great things having to do with medical [marijuana], and I&#8217;ve [heard] bad things having to do with just about everything else.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump on marijuana: &#8220;We&#8217;re looking at reclassification and we&#8217;ll make a determination over the next few weeks.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/GTiYKogmuA">pic.twitter.com/GTiYKogmuA</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1954928772991291413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump reportedly floated the idea of reclassifying marijuana during a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month in front of guests that included Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies in the United States. The discussions within the Trump administration focus on whether weed should be reclassified as a Schedule III drug, which would drop certain restrictions on marijuana without completely legalizing it, according to the WSJ.
While some states have passed laws legalizing recreational and medical marijuana use, it is still <a href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/orangebook/c_cs_alpha.pdf">listed</a> as a Schedule I drug under federal law. Schedule I <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">means</a> a drug has &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.&#8221; Reclassifying marijuana as Schedule III would put the drug in the same category as drugs that have &#8220;a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.&#8221;
Marijuana reclassification was pursued by the Biden administration, but it wasn&#8217;t achieved before President Joe Biden left office in January. Trump signaled his support for recreational marijuana last year when he voted to legalize the drug in Florida last year, pitting himself against conservatives such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The marijuana amendment push in Florida received 56%, falling just short of the 60% needed to pass it into law.
A senior White House official told the WSJ that Trump wants to take on issues like marijuana that are viewed as “80-20 cultural issues.” Trump&#8217;s inroads among independent and younger voters could also make the reclassification push more attractive to the Trump administration as Republicans seek to hold onto the momentum gained in the 2024 election as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
The campaign to downgrade marijuana&#8217;s drug classification also receives a lot of money. Marijuana companies have donated millions of dollars to the American Rights and Reform PAC, which <a href="https://www.americanrightsreform.com/">pushes</a> to &#8220;end the war on medical cannabis.&#8221; Consultants working for Trulieve have presented Trump&#8217;s team with polling that shows that more than 80% of independent voters support reclassifying marijuana, the WSJ reported.
“This is not calling for decriminalization or legalization but simply knocking it down a few notches on the criminal scale,” Trump campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz told the WSJ. “It’s probably targeted more to a younger demographic, where the president has made great headway.” Bruesewitz was paid $300,000 by the American Rights and Reform PAC to work on social media and advertisements.
Some independents and conservatives, however, strongly oppose the effort to reclassify marijuana and want the federal government to ramp up enforcement of existing laws on marijuana.
&#8220;Our society thrived when everyone was smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. We became the most powerful nation in the world with liquor and nicotine. No country of potheads has ever thrived, or ever achieved anything at all,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1954264828626780162">wrote</a> Daily Wire host Matt Walsh. &#8220;Every city that legalized it became an even bigger s***hole basically overnight. The entire history of western civilization tells us that marijuana is far, far worse for society.&#8221;
Walsh <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1954225938113126716">added</a> that the federal government should be doing &#8220;exactly the opposite&#8221; of what the Trump administration is considering.
Other independents and conservatives also chimed in, expressing their disapproval of reclassifying marijuana.
&#8220;Marijuana mass normalization has been a disaster for the United States,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/esaagar/status/1954633873486495964">said</a> Breaking Points host Saagar Enjeti. &#8220;Our cities stink, our kids are literally being poisoned and made stupid, DWIs are skyrocketing and the promised revenue doesn&#8217;t even come close to making up the mass social chaos.&#8221;
&#8220;Weed is a scourge, rewarding some of the worst elements of society while sapping the will and productivity of far too many citizens, especially young men,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/CortesSteve/status/1954513837668925493">added</a> conservative commentator Steve Cortes. &#8220;MAGA must focus on quality of life issues &#8212; we can do so much better than cities that reek of disgusting smoke.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Marijuana

Trump Sparks Debate With Comments On Reclassifying Weed

Conservatives

President Donald Trump stands by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, ICE raids intensify in scope and reaction, and California wages a multi-front legal war with the Trump administration.
It’s Monday, July 14, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump Backs Bondi &amp; ICE Raids CA Farm" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qhFNlfqdVAw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-backs-bondi-ice-raids-ca-farm/id1576594336?i=1000717147993" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
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<h2>Tensions Escalate Within Trump World In The Fallout Of The Epstein Case</h2>
<div id="attachment_946289" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-946289" class="size-large wp-image-946289" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2197275225-864x576.jpg" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaks to member of the media in the Oval Office at the White House on February 05, 2025 in Washington, DC." width="864" height="576" />Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images</div>
Topline: President Trump is standing by his attorney general, even as MAGA loyalists call for Pam Bondi to be ousted over her handling of the Epstein files.
Ever since the White House declared the Epstein investigation closed, concluding that there was no evidence the billionaire sex criminal died by murder, blackmailed powerful individuals, or had a “client list,” we’ve seen unprecedented backlash from the president’s most diehard supporters. They are confident there’s more to this story and want to know why there hasn’t been more transparency – and more importantly, why Bondi went from saying the Epstein client list was on her desk awaiting release, to saying there was never a list to begin with. 
Now we appear to be seeing legitimate signs of fracture within the administration. 
On Friday, we learned that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino got into a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/details-emerge-from-bonginos-reported-tense-meeting-with-bondi-trump-chief-of-staff">shouting match</a> with Bondi at the White House last week. Bongino reportedly accused her of misleading the public, while Bondi reportedly accused him of throwing her under the bus and planting negative stories about her in the press. A source close to Bongino told Daily Wire White House Reporter Mary Margaret Olohan that he is so incensed by the Epstein debacle that he’s threatening to resign if Bondi is allowed to remain the chief legal officer of the federal government.
According to officials at the DOJ, FBI Director Kash Patel is also considering resigning if more documents are not released, and he wants Bondi out as well. However, Patel broke his silence on Saturday, saying he&#8217;ll continue serving Trump &#8220;as long as he calls on me&#8221; and the Epstein &#8220;conspiracy theories just aren&#8217;t true.&#8221;
In a lengthy <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114842356238631061">Truth Social</a> post on Saturday, Trump defended Bondi, who he said is doing a “fantastic job&#8230;We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening… ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration.” The President went on to say the FBI would be better suited focusing on investigating voter fraud and political corruption as opposed to Epstein, before ending with a line that drew perhaps the most outrage from his base: “Let’s not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.”
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<h2>ICE Raids &amp; Protesters</h2>
<div id="attachment_946103" style="width: 857px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-946103" class="size-large wp-image-946103" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224587665-847x576.jpg" alt="CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Federal agents block people protesting an ICE immigration raid at a nearby cannabis farm on July 10, 2025 near Camarillo, California. Protestors stood off with federal agents for hours outside the farm in the farmworker community in Ventura County. A Los Angeles federal judge is set to rule Friday on a temporary restraining order which would restrict area immigration enforcement operations. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)" width="847" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224587665-847x576.jpg 847w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224587665-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224587665-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224587665.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px" />Mario Tama/Getty Images</div>
Topline: More details are emerging about the ICE raid of a marijuana farm in Camarillo, California, last week that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of illegal aliens. Officials say at least 14 children were on the farm, most of them unaccompanied and potentially victims of forced labor.
During the raid, anti-ICE protesters attacked agents with rocks and bricks; one person seemingly shot at officers. The government is now offering a $50,000 reward for that suspect. Videos of the raid show protesters attacking federal vehicles as agents drive away. One protester appeared to use their bike to try to block the road. Authorities deployed tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse the estimated 500 people there to protest or impede federal agents. At the end of the day, ICE arrested more than 300 illegal aliens.
The chaotic clash caught special attention from President Trump, who on Friday authorized any ICE agent who is attacked to “stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS.”
Democrats have blamed violent anti-ICE demonstrations on the Trump administration and its immigration enforcement tactics and policies. In the aftermath of the Camarillo raid, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom <a href="https://abc7.com/post/federal-agents-conduct-immigration-raid-camarillo-farm/17056098/">singled out</a> Stephen Miller, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff and an immigration hardliner. The governor called the raid “inhumane” and said Miller’s methods “evoke chaos, fear and terror within our communities at every turn.”
“Everywhere you look in California, you see industrial child exploitation on a massive scale,” Miller told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=27&amp;v=kcXLXVy5HQQ&amp;feature=youtu.be">Fox News</a> in response to the governor’s remarks. “There are likely hundreds of thousands of children in California who are being exploited for their labor or sexually exploited as part of sex trafficking. This administration is liberating these children and helping reunify them with their parents back in their home country.”
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<h2>California vs Trump</h2>
<div id="attachment_940355" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-940355" class="size-large wp-image-940355" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Untitled-design-24-1024x536.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="536" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Untitled-design-24-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Untitled-design-24-300x157.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Untitled-design-24-768x402.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Untitled-design-24.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by Justin Sullivan via Getty Images</div>
Topline:  California is doubling down on its war with the Trump administration, over everything from ICE raids to women’s sports, while several of its cities face growing crises.
Key areas of contention include environmental policy, where California has sued over rollbacks of emissions standards and protections for endangered species. The state has also challenged federal immigration policies, including the construction of a border wall and the treatment of asylum seekers. 
Houman Hemmati, a California political commentator, highlighted the state&#8217;s internal crises. 
&#8220;We have the public safety issues and then we also have the affordability issues,” Hemmati said. “On the public safety front, we still have exceedingly high crime and homelessness&#8230; And on top of that on the affordability front we have energy prices – electricity, gasoline – that are sky high, highest in the nation, going through the roof and with no end in sight. Water rates that are very high. Insurance rates that are sky high&#8221;. Hemmati noted that &#8220;every one of these crises is something that&#8217;s either preventable, predictable, or manufactured.&#8221;
Hemmati commented on the response of city and state officials to the escalation of violence against ICE, stating that leaders like Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Newsom are &#8220;openly calling for people to resist ICE and they&#8217;re using vilifying terms, fighting terms&#8221;. He added that Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy, &#8220;actually asked for gang members to come out and fight them in the streets in no uncertain terms. So they&#8217;ve declared open war on federal officers, who are really there enforcing federal law and doing their jobs.&#8220;

MRN 7.14.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: The Epstein Firestorm, ICE Raids & Riots, California Vs Trump

California

Farming

Gavin Newsom

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Jeffrey Epstein

Media

Morning Wire

Pam Bondi

We&#8217;ve reached the point now where the entire leftist program is performative outrage.
Today&#8217;s example is the raid by ICE at a large marijuana farm in Southern California.
According to the New York Times: “Federal agents raided a large cannabis farm in Southern California on Thursday, clashing with protesters and arresting multiple people.”
That sounds like these are just normal people. “Yeah, sure, they&#8217;re illegal immigrants, but they&#8217;re picking the marijuana that America needs.”
But marijuana is damaging our country. If you don&#8217;t believe me, visit LA, visit Denver.
This pot farm was allegedly using illegal underage labor. It&#8217;s hard to think of a place more deserving of a federal law enforcement raid than a pot farm that is engaging in illegal underage labor.
The Left freaked out. Protesters showed up because they heard that ICE was showing up. At least one person showed up with a gun and fired at an ICE agent.
That person is no longer a “protester.” He’s now an attempted murderer.
But a video that went viral on social media was not the video of the so-called protester shooting a gun or the idiots who were attempting to stop an ICE vehicle using flagpoles.
It was children running from tear gas, which ICE used to disperse the crowds.
But when they say children were running away, they should point out that some of the children who were running away were presumably brought there as protesters, because if they were there as child labor, the parents should be in jail.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2236-democrats-defend-illegal-immigrant-child-labor-on-pot-farm?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
It&#8217;s a violation of federal and state law to use your small children as child labor at a cannabis farm, we should point out.
But this caused Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, who desperately wants to run for President of the United States, to tweet, “Kids running from tear gas crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he&#8217;s the real scum.”
Amazing performative outrage.
What are the children doing there in the first place? That should be the real question.
Why have leftists incentivized parents to bring small children to protest immigration raids at a cannabis farm employing underage labor? That&#8217;s question number one. Question number two: Is Newsom suggesting that kids are crying because mom is being taken away? The only person on tape I could see who was crying about this appeared to be a young man whose mom was taken away.
If you&#8217;re a legal immigrant, the administration is not going to arrest you. You have to violate the law in some way that calls for your deportation in order for them to pursue the arrest.
President Trump has mentioned the idea of providing some sort of temporary shield for illegal immigrant farmworkers and hospitality workers, or people working in hotels. He has insisted there will be no amnesty, but also suggested that some workers might be allowed to stay if their employers take responsibility for them.
The policy that the media claim Trump is pursuing is not the policy that he is pursuing.
But because the media are lying about the actual policy and because there are people on social media who are able to blow those lies up into full-fledged stories, you end up with violence against ICE agents, people showing up en masse to stop what are clearly legitimate law enforcement raids.
The performative outrage is the entire gambit for the Left.
It&#8217;s all performative outrage.

ICE Raid At Southern California Farm Sparks Protests

The Performative Outrage Of The Left

Ben Shapiro

President Trump

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