Cannabis industry startled by administration’s pardon as major drug kingpins are freed while small businesses struggle for legitimacy.
The contradictions are stark: on one hand, millions of Americans — roughly 88% — now believe cannabis should be legal for medical or recreational use. On the other, the federal government under Donald J. Trump is granting pardons to major drug-kingpins, effectively undercutting the very legitimacy of drug enforcement — and prolonging the regulatory limbo for the legitimate cannabis industry. The cannabis industry startled by administration’s pardon, and has serious concerns.
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Recent polling from Pew Research Center (January 2024) shows 88% of U.S. adults believe marijuana should be legal for “medical or recreational use.” 57% support full legalization (medical + recreational).
- 32% favor medical use only.
These numbers reflect broad, cross-demographic support: across age groups, political affiliations, and social backgrounds. Yet despite this widespread public backing, federal law continues to treat cannabis as a Schedule I prohibited substance. Meanwhile, many small businesses — the backbone of the legal cannabis economy — remain stuck navigating a patchwork of state laws, banking restrictions, and regulatory uncertainty.
The legal cannabis industry in the United States is far from the caricature of drug-lords and illicit syndicates. In many states, it is built on “mom-and-pop,” small-business owners — growers, retailers, and delivery services — operating under state licensing regimes, paying taxes, and striving to meet compliance, safety, and community standards.
These businesses often invest heavily in compliance: tracking seed-to-sale, adhering to local zoning laws, paying licensing fees, and ensuring product safety. They strive to be transparent and legitimate. Yet they continue to suffer — unable to access traditional banking, facing high regulatory costs, and vulnerable to federal enforcement risk.
For these entrepreneurs, the inaction at the federal level — combined with aggressive pardons for large-scale traffickers — feels like a double injustice. While “real cannabis” operators play by the rules, the government’s clemency choices tacitly reward those who broke them.
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In 2025, the Trump administration commuted or pardoned several high-profile drug offenders — individuals whose enterprises profited from illicit narcotics trafficking.
Notably:
- Juan Orlando Hernández — convicted in 2024 on federal drug-trafficking and weapons charges for enabling the shipment of hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States — received a full and unconditional presidential pardon on December 2, 2025. He had been sentenced to 45 years in prison before his release.
- Ross Ulbricht — founder of the darknet marketplace Silk Road — received a full and unconditional pardon.
- Larry Hoover and other convicted dealers were also granted clemency even as the administration publicly reiterated its commitment to a “drug war.”
This paradox — pardoning convicted traffickers while claiming to crack down on drugs — has drawn sharp criticism. Observers argue it undermines not only the moral basis of drug enforcement, but also public trust in which operations deserve clemency and which don’t.
The legal cannabis industry is caught in a confusing and often frustrating limbo. Federal policy sends mixed signals: the administration has pardoned high-profile drug kingpins — including international traffickers — while marijuana remains federally illegal. The message is stark: massive illegal dealers are forgiven, while small, law-abiding cannabis businesses continue to face obstacles.
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Regulatory burdens remain heavy. Even as states embrace legalization, small cannabis operators contend with a maze of state laws, limited access to banking, and steep compliance costs. Without federal support, these businesses must navigate an uncertain legal landscape which limits growth and threatens survival.
The pardons of major traffickers amplify the sense of hypocrisy. When convicted drug lords are freed while compliant cannabis businesses remain constrained, the government’s commitment to fairness and justice comes into question. The contrast highlights the uneven enforcement continuing to frustrate entrepreneurs who have worked hard to stay on the right side of the law.
Looking Ahead: Steps to Align Policy and Reality
For the industry to thrive, federal policy must finally catch up with public opinion:
- Reclassify or reschedule cannabis so legal operators can run businesses with clarity and confidence under a consistent national framework.
- Banking reform to provide access to financial services, loans, and basic banking infrastructure for compliant cannabis businesses.
- Rational clemency and sentencing policies that distinguish between violent traffickers and nonviolent cannabis entrepreneurs, recognizing the huge difference in scale and harm.
- Congressional action reflecting decades of rising public support and sets a clear path toward legalization.
Until federal law aligns with the will of the people, the legal cannabis industry — largely composed of small “mom-and-pop” operations — will continue to face unnecessary barriers, even as the administration grants leniency to major traffickers. The result is a system that rewards the wrong actors while holding law-abiding entrepreneurs back.
