News Brief: The Inside Push Behind Trump’s Marijuana Policy Shift
Summary
A year-long, coordinated campaign by cannabis industry executives and allies, combining lobbying, political donations, and targeted polling, culminated in President Donald Trump signing an executive order to reclassify marijuana and pave the way for a Medicare CBD pilot program.
Key Points
- Orchestrated Campaign: The policy shift resulted from a strategic effort blending traditional lobbying, significant political spending, data-driven messaging, and direct access to the President’s inner circle.
- Key Architects: Three primary figures drove the push:
- Howard Kessler: A Palm Beach billionaire and longtime Trump friend who advocated for medical cannabis for seniors through his Commonwealth Project.
- Kim Rivers: CEO of cannabis giant Trulieve, who leveraged connections to Trump’s chief of staff and participated in high-dollar fundraisers.
- Tony Fabrizio: Trump’s longtime pollster, whose data showed overwhelming voter support, especially among youth, for rescheduling.
- Industry Influence: Trulieve made substantial political donations ($1M+ to Trump-affiliated committees) and spent over $100 million on a failed Florida legalization ballot initiative. Rivers framed the order as a move toward a “safe, regulated” market.
- Reframing the Issue: Advocates successfully presented marijuana reform not as a social issue but as a pro-business policy, winning over a president known for personal sobriety.
新闻简报：特朗普大麻政策转变背后的内部推动
总结
大麻行业高管及盟友进行了一场为期一年、协调一致的游说活动，结合了传统 lobbying、政治捐款和针对性民调，最终促使特朗普总统签署行政命令，重新分类大麻并为医疗保险CBD试点项目铺平道路。
关键点
- 精心策划的活动：此次政策转变源于一项战略努力，融合了传统游说、巨额政治支出、数据驱动的信息传递以及与总统核心圈子的直接接触。
- 关键推动者：三位核心人物主导了这次推动：
- 霍华德·凯斯勒：棕榈滩亿万富翁，特朗普的长期朋友，通过其”联邦项目”倡导面向老年人的医用大麻。
- 金·里弗斯：大麻巨头Trulieve的CEO，利用与特朗普幕僚长的关系，并参与了高额筹款活动。
- 托尼·法布里齐奥：特朗普的长期民调专家，其数据显示选民（尤其是年轻选民）对重新分类大麻的支持率极高。
- 行业影响力：Trulieve向特朗普相关委员会提供了巨额政治捐款（超过100万美元），并在佛罗里达州一项失败的大麻合法化公投倡议上花费了超过1亿美元。里弗斯将行政命令描述为迈向”安全、受监管”市场的一步。
- 重塑议题：倡导者成功地将大麻改革描述为一个亲商业的政策问题，而非社会议题，从而赢得了以个人节制著称的总统的支持。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/19/trump-pot-executive-order-medicare-cbd-lobbying-donors.html