President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he will have the chance to advance major drug policy reforms he’s championed such as promoting access to psychedelics therapy and reshaping federal marijuana laws .
Kennedy followed a dizzying path to the Trump administration, entering the 2024 presidential election as a Democratic candidate before switching to independent as he lagged in the polls and then eventually endorsing the GOP nominee. Along that path, he stood out in part for his drug policy platform, which involved legalizing and taxing certain psychedelics in addition to cannabis .
If confirmed by the Senate or otherwise elevated to health and human services secretary via a recess appointment, Kennedy will be in a unique position of influence to follow up on those goals, commanding control of the nation’s health apparatus that oversees the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other critical agencies.
HHS under the Biden administration has already completed its portion of a marijuana rescheduling review, conducting a scientific analysis that led to a recommendation to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That rulemaking process is ongoing, but it’s possible that Kennedy could leverage his authority to initiate another review if he feels a lower schedule, or complete descheduling, is more appropriate, as he’s repeatedly argued.
Kennedy’s advocacy for psychedelics reform is also particularly relevant to his potential role at HHS. FDA faced criticism from advocates earlier this year after the agency rejected an application to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The nominee has made clear he believes psychedelics hold significant therapeutic potential that should be untapped, and he’d wield influence over that potential administrative reform as well.
Last month, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public health” that would end under the Trump administration. FDA’s war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem […]
RFK Jr. Could Advance Marijuana And Psychedelics Reform Agenda As Trump’s Top Health Official
