President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, has expressed support for decriminalizing marijuana possession. Chronister praised a 2020 decision by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to treat possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana as a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.
The announcement comes just ahead of a DEA administrative law judge hearing on the Biden administration’s proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Chronister’s comments on marijuana decriminalization are significant, as he is set to lead the DEA, which has been criticized for its handling of marijuana policy.
In a press release, Chronister stated that the decriminalization ordinance would allow the sheriff’s office and the state attorney’s office to focus on prosecuting violent offenders. He also commended the county commissioners for their work on the issue.
Chronister has a background in law enforcement and has served on the Florida Drug Policy Advisory Council. He was appointed to that position by Governor Ron DeSantis, who opposed a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot.
Trump’s pick for DEA administrator has a mixed track record on marijuana policy. While Chronister has expressed support for decriminalization, other members of Trump’s cabinet have taken more conservative stances on the issue. For example, the nominee for head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been a vocal opponent of marijuana reform, while the nominee for head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expressed skepticism about the safety and efficacy of marijuana.
Despite these mixed signals, some advocates are hopeful that Trump’s administration will take a more nuanced approach to marijuana policy. The president-elect has also announced the formation of a non-governmental advisory body on drug policy, which will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both of whom are proponents of marijuana and psychedelics reform.
