President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Matt Gaetz as the next U.S. Attorney General has stirred anger among Democrats and even a handful of Republicans who also appear to be astonished by the choice.

The cloud of controversy surrounding Gaetz thickened when he resigned from Congress shortly after Trump's announcement last Wednesday, just in time to avoid the House Ethics Committee's imminent decision on whether to release a report investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use and other accusations, which Gaetz has consistently denied.

Read Also: Gaetz Nomination In Peril Due To GOP Resistance

Gaetz On Cannabis: Why The Industry Embraces Him

Though Gaetz opposed Florida's failed cannabis legalization bid several weeks before Trump came out in support of it, the congressman’s support for cannabis reform is well-known. As a state representative, he sponsored legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Florida nearly a decade ago. In June 2022, Gaetz bashed the Democrats for failing to enact cannabis banking reform. In 2023, he proposed to stop testing members of the U.S. military for cannabis use. 

And now, with Gaetz’s possible elevation to Attorney General many in the cannabis community, especially industry leaders, are gushing.

Boris Jordan, executive chairman of Curaleaf Holdings Inc CURLF recently took to X where he shared videos of Gaetz’ public cannabis reform efforts. In one, Gaetz is grilling DEA chief Anne Milgram about when the agency might get around to rescheduling marijuana as promised.

The second video opens with Gaetz speaking to the Young Republicans in New York. “Maybe I should serve as attorney general of the United States. I’d be easy on marijuana and tough on big tech. Wouldn't that be a nice reversal?”

Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Just Yet

David Culver, senior VP of public affairs at the U.S. Cannabis Council said in an email to Benzinga that Gaetz “is one of the most pro-cannabis Republicans on Capitol Hill. By tapping him to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement officer, President-elect Trump is signaling his commitment to make good on his campaign promises around cannabis reform.”

Nevertheless, the cannabis industry and legalization advocates should probably not get their hopes up just yet, as Gaetz faces an uphill climb to secure the 51 votes needed for Senate confirmation.

Meanwhile, Trump wants Gaetz confirmed "100%," a source told CNN. "He is not going to back off. He's all in."

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Matt Gaetz Image From Wikimedia Commons By Gage Skidmore