It’s common practice these days to say whatever is needed in order to get confirmed by the Senate, and RFK Jr. is falling into line.
Just after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed to be the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, he had a conversation with the Senator from Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, in which RFK promised to “follow the science on the harms of marijuana.”
At face value, this seems like an obvious stance to have. It makes sense to follow science wherever it takes you. However, after looking at Ricketts’ opinions over the years, it’s clear that the “following” here is a loaded term. In fact, he has already said he’s had a conversation with RFK about “preventing the expansion of marijuana”. There are many ways in which you can follow science, including the cherry-picked version.
This seems like an important issue for Ricketts, however it’s unclear how much RFK can really do when it comes to marijuana. The HHS has already “followed the science” and recommended rescheduling to Schedule III when it found marijuana had low abuse potential compared to other drugs and some medical value.
RFK Jr. was very vocal in his support for marijuana legalization during his run for presidency.
RFK committed to me that he would follow the science on the harms of marijuana. He committed to implementing @POTUS’ commitments on conscience protections, banning taxpayer funding of abortion, and protecting life. He also committed to include agriculture stakeholders in HHS’s…
— Senator Pete Ricketts (@SenatorRicketts) February 13, 2025
Read the original article at Marijuana Moment.
