Despite millions of dollars spent by the marijuana industry, the Trump administration is cracking down on the drug, closing loopholes that have let the industry expand banefully in states that have not legalized it, and stepping up prosecutions of those who use it on federal lands.

This summer, reports surfaced that President Donald Trump had been telling donors he was considering moving marijuana from Schedule I — the strictest category under the Controlled Substances Act — to Schedule III, a lower tier that includes drugs such as ketamine and codeine. Such a shift would make marijuana easier to use legally and open financing options for the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry. This came after Trump endorsed a Florida ballot measure that would have legalized the drug in 2024.