(NewsNation) — A U.S. executive with ties to the cannabis industry is describing how President Donald Trump decided, on the spot, to begin rolling back restrictions on marijuana during a closed-door White House meeting earlier this month.
ScottsMiracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn, whose Hawthorne Gardening Company supplies equipment to cannabis growers, said he was among advocates who met privately with the commander in chief as Trump considered reclassifying the drug from Schedule I, where it sits with heroin and LSD, to the less restrictive Schedule III.
Hagedorn said opponents of relaxing cannabis standards were also at the Dec. 9 meeting in the Oval Office, which featured a 40-minute call with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
“The meeting was two hours and 15 minutes of hardcore arguing, led by the president of the United States. It was insane,” Hagedorn told NewsNation’s Mills Hayes. “I could see that the president was sympathetic, but I could also see there was tension in the air. He led the meeting.”
He said marijuana industry representatives have long sought the switch to Schedule III because it would significantly reduce the tax burden for marijuana businesses. For their part, Hagedorn said, opponents told Trump the change could make today’s comparatively stronger marijuana more accessible to minors and that pot can cause “mental issues.”
“I think most of that stuff is just not true,” he said.
After listening to the various viewpoints at the meeting, Hagedorn said, the president announced his mind was made up: He would sign an executive order putting cannabis on track for Schedule III.
When some attendees suggested the president compromise by placing marijuana on the more restrictive Schedule II, Hagedorn said, Trump balked at the idea.
“The president rightfully said, ‘We’re not doing II — II is a half-assed version of III. We’re doing III or we do nothing,’” the business executive said.
Trump on Thursday signed the executive order, with the stated goal of expanding medical marijuana and CBD research. It directs the U.S. attorney general to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
Schedule III substances, including Ketamine and anabolic steroids, are considered to have a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
Trump on Thursday discouraged the recreational use of marijuana and stressed he was not legalizing cannabis at the federal level with his action.
Several states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults, even as the federal government considers it a controlled substance. In recent years, some conservative state policymakers have supported the regulated medical use of marijuana.