Drug policy expert Kevin Sabet criticized President Donald Trump's decision to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III on Newsmax Thursday, calling the action a dangerous signal on drug use that ignores addiction risks and undermines public health.
Sabet, a longtime critic of marijuana legalization and the author of "One Nation Under the Influence: America's Drug Habit and How We Can Overcome It," said Trump made a "really bad decision."
Sabet appeared on Newsmax's "Greg Kelly Reports" and reacted to Trump's executive order instructing the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite the reclassification process and expand federal research tied to marijuana and cannabidiol.
"Well, it's going to still have to go through a process, so it's ... not finished yet. But he definitely expressed his desire to do it," Sabet said.
Before addressing the marijuana policy change, Sabet offered condolences following a deadly shooting at Brown University, describing it as "a stain on our country" and linking violence concerns to mental health and substance abuse issues.
"We really need to look at our mental health issue in this country, the level of mental illness and addiction we have as a country, being the most, you know, voracious country when it comes to drugs and substance abuse," Sabet said.
He cited nationwide addiction and overdose statistics as evidence that drug policy decisions carry far-reaching consequences.
"We lost 100,000 people last year. That means 100,000 families were affected," he said.
"And millions and millions more ... are completely affected. They may not be dead, but they are addicted."
Sabet said today's marijuana presents greater risks than in the past due to higher potency levels.
"Today's marijuana is not the marijuana of the past. It's much stronger than it ever has been," he said, adding that it has been "genetically bred to increase the levels of THC to levels we've never had."
"What the president did by encouraging the reclassification is essentially encouraging the use of it," Sabet said.
Sabet also disputed claims that marijuana's medical use justifies federal policy changes.
"The reality is 98% of medical [use] is fraud. There's no medical; less than 2% are actually legitimate," he said, describing widespread use of medical marijuana cards without meaningful clinical oversight.
According to the White House, Trump's executive order directs the attorney general to complete the rescheduling process, calls on HHS to expand research models using real-world evidence, and seeks to improve access to hemp-derived cannabinoid products while maintaining restrictions on products deemed to pose serious health risks.
"And so I was very disappointed that the president listened to a couple of his donors and a couple of his golf buddies to make this decision today. It was a really bad decision on his part," Sabet said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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