cheduling.
Trump Urges Medicare Coverage for Hemp-Derived CBD, Sparks Cannabis Debate
On Sunday night, President Donald Trump took to his new social media platform, Truth Social, to share a video produced by The Commonwealth Project. The video calls for the federal government to cover hemp-derived CBD under Medicare, framing it as “the most important senior health initiative of the century.”
The Commonwealth Project, funded by Trump’s friend Howard Kessler, a member of Mar-a-Lago, presents CBD as a medical breakthrough and a political milestone. With rescheduling efforts at a standstill and GOP lawmakers divided, Medicare coverage for CBD could be a politically safe move for Trump.
The video, set to dramatic music, touts the potential benefits of CBD for seniors, including pain relief, stress reduction, improved sleep, and even slowing disease progression. It also reminds viewers of Trump’s role in the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp with up to 0.3% THC and paved the way for the current CBD market.
The post quickly gained attention from both the cannabis and finance communities, with stocks seeing double-digit gains on Monday morning. The Commonwealth Project’s message being amplified by the President raised the stakes for stakeholders, as they closely monitor Trump’s social media for any potential signals.
In the midst of this debate, GOP lawmakers are pushing to block rescheduling efforts, creating a contradiction as Trump promotes CBD as a Medicare benefit. The THC Group, a cannabis industry briefing, pointed out this contradiction, stating, “The president just retweeted a video begging him to do something while House Republicans write budget language trying to stop him from doing it.”
