In August, I penned an op/ed for the Topeka Capitol-Journal entitled, “Kansas boy’s suffering evolved thinking on marijuana. It’s time to act.” The subject matter was something I’ve championed since my brief stint in the Kansas Legislature: loosening marijuana restrictions.
In the piece I stated, “Mr. Trump and I don’t agree on very many things, and though August marks a decade since I became a registered Independent, if the President fulfills his promise on reclassifying marijuana, I will not hesitate to express my gratitude.”
On Dec. 18, the President signed an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the reclassification of cannabis, paving the way for the Food and Drug Administration to study its medicinal uses.
True to my word, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Donald Trump for delivering on his promise. Though many Republicans across the country, including state attorneys general and legislators, law enforcement, and members of Congress urged him not to reclassify marijuana, he did it anyway.
“It is the policy of my Administration to increase medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. It is critical to close the gap between current medical marijuana and CBD use and medical knowledge of risks and benefits,” the order says.
Before signing the directive in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said the decision was “really something having to do with common sense.”
While there were those who voiced their opposition, others offered “common sense” statements of their own. Just west of Topeka, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office issued a lively social media post that read in part:
“This is America ... Don’t drive impaired. We don’t put people in jail for personal use of a plant. If you’re hauling 50 pounds of it for the cartel, bet your [posterior] you’re goin to jail yet we have CHILD MOLESTERS & VIOLENT FELONS to catch, a small plant that makes most people happy & snack seeking isn’t a priority ... The war on drugs turned into the war on people. We ain’t at war with people up in the WB. Addiction is not a crime. We have a low crime rate & proactively assist our citizens to get treatment for substance abuse anyway & it’s working as ENFORCEMENT ALONE AIN’T ENOUGH. You break into your neighbors house to steal for drugs? You’re going to jail.”
The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office appears to at least somewhat concur with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said the move was “a step in the right direction,” adding that “more work must be done to decriminalize cannabis, ease overly restrictive banking regulations that stall industry progress in states where it is legal, and rectify the harms done by the War on Drugs.”
According to a November Gallup Poll, 64% of U.S. adults think the use of marijuana should be legal.
Perhaps it’s the result of some leftover holiday goodwill, but I feel it’s incumbent on me to offer some additional gratitude to Mr. Trump for another promise he kept.
At a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina on Sept. 24, 2024, then-Candidate Trump said he would sign legislation granting the Lumbee tribe full federal recognition if he were elected president.
“The Lumbee tribe has been wrongfully denied federal recognition for more than a century,” Trump told the crowd. “Today I am officially announcing that if I am elected in November, I will sign legislation granting the great Lumbee Tribe the federal recognition that it deserves.”
Shortly after taking office in January, the President issued a memo directing the Interior Department to develop a plan to assist the tribe in obtaining full federal recognition. True to his word, just before Christmas, after a 137-year struggle, the Lumbees of North Carolina finally received full federal recognition from the U.S. government.
The Lumbee Tribe has roughly 55,000 members and its tribal territory is in the southeastern part of North Carolina in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland Counties.
I lived among members of the Lumbee tribe in Robeson County during a particularly traumatic chapter of my life. I witnessed their struggles and was the recipient of their kindness and generosity. The Lumbee deserve access to the same federal health care, education, housing, childcare, and disaster relief benefits that are afforded to other federally recognized tribes.
Though I remain staunchly opposed to most of the administration’s policies, I recognize good governance when I see it. President Trump’s actions on reclassifying marijuana and recognizing the Lumbee tribe are worthy of commendation.
J. Basil Dannebohm is a writer, speaker, consultant, and former legislator. His website is www.dannebohm.com. He is a registered Independent.
