The New Drug Policy Landscape Under Trump and RFK Jr.

There’s potential for bold, innovative solutions—but also for policies that could undermine progress in curbing addiction

As the United States begins Donald Trump’s second term, the nation’s drug crisis remains a pressing concern.

That’s why I was excited to speak with Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and Co-Founder of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS), about the evolving dynamics of U.S. drug policy.

You can watch our full conversation here:

President Trump has made combating the drug crisis a cornerstone of his second-term agenda, focusing heavily on a supply-side strategy. This includes stricter border controls aimed at curbing the influx of fentanyl precursors. While these efforts are commendable, Luke and I agreed that addressing the demand side of the equation is equally critical.

This brings us to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), whose confirmation hearings are set to take place this week.

If you haven’t seen RFK Jr.’s documentary Recovering America, it’s worth your time. At just 45 minutes long, it’s available to watch for free and provides a fascinating look at his philosophy on addiction recovery.

In the film, RFK Jr. emphasizes the importance of innovative recovery programs and highlights the spiritual component of addiction recovery—an idea that resonates deeply with me. Many guests on The Poisoning podcast have also underscored how essential a spiritual element was in their own journeys toward sobriety.

One of RFK Jr.’s more unconventional ideas is his support for healing farms—literal farms where recovering addicts engage in hard work, develop discipline, and focus on recovery in a communal environment.

While it’s easy to poke fun at the concept, there’s real merit in such approaches.

Not every recovering addict would benefit from this specific treatment, but my conversations with experts like Dale King, a former intelligence officer using CrossFit to counsel opioid addicts in small-town Ohio, have taught me that innovative recovery methods can often outperform traditional counseling models.

Here’s why: First, traditional rehab programs often end far too soon due to financial constraints, leaving addicts without the long-term support they need. In contrast, programs like RFK Jr.’s healing farms—or King’s CrossFit program—can last for a year or longer. Second, real recovery frequently requires community.

As Sebastian Junger argues in his book Tribe, a sense of belonging and mutual support serves an essential human need.

This is where RFK Jr.’s approach to addiction shines.

While I’m optimistic about RFK Jr.’s recovery-focused ideas, his past support for marijuana legalization—and his plan to use marijuana tax revenue to fund recovery farms—raises concerns.

During our conversation, Luke expressed cautious optimism but pointed to the financial and social challenges that states like Colorado have faced post-legalization.

Using marijuana tax revenue to support recovery initiatives risks perpetuating a cycle where the harms of commercialization are indirectly funding solutions to addiction.

Luke also echoed a concern raised in a previous episode of The Poisoning with Charles Fain Lehman of the Manhattan Institute: the growing role of large corporations, including Big Pharma, in the marijuana and psychedelic markets.

These profit-driven motives often overshadow public health priorities.

For example, the commercialization of cannabis has led to significantly more potent products in recent years, which in turn increases the risks of addiction and mental health issues.

Luke also warned about the rise of entrepreneurs and influencers promoting psychedelic drugs like ibogaine.

While psychedelics are gaining attention for their potential therapeutic uses, their rapid commercialization raises serious questions about safety, regulation, and long-term consequences.

As Trump begins his second term and RFK Jr. potentially takes the reins at HHS, the drug policy landscape is more complex and consequential than ever. There’s potential for bold, innovative solutions—but also for policies that could undermine progress in curbing addiction.

Advocates like Luke are pushing for balanced, evidence-based approaches, and their work will be critical in shaping the future of America’s fight against the drug crisis. The next few months will be pivotal as we navigate this evolving landscape.

---

News Roundup…

• ABC NEWS: Purdue Pharma, Sackler families boost contribution in opioid settlement to $7.4 billion

• FOX NEWS: RFK Jr.'s plan to combat addiction: 'wellness farms'

• WEST VIRGINIA: Governor Morrisey Urges Congress to Classify Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

• OREGON: Home from boot camp, Army recruit from Oregon dies of fentanyl OD

• PENNSYLVANIA: PA A.G. Sunday Talks Opioid Epidemic, Krasner, Trump, Recreational Pot

• THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Canada Is Becoming a Fentanyl Exporter, and a Target for Trump

• TEXAS: Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $7.4 Billion SettlementWith Pur­due Phar­ma and Sack­ler Fam­i­ly for Role in Opi­oid Epidemic

• AXIS PRO: Health Care: Playing Coy on Medicaid Cuts

• CALIFORNIA: Man who defense says experienced ‘Narcan-induced delirium’ acquitted of multiple felonies

• KENTUCKY:All Louisville Fire Departments Now Carry Overdose Reversal drug Narcan

• MINNESOTA: Parents charged in toddler’s Christmas Day fentanyl death

• FLORIDA: Martin County Sheriffs Warn of Newly Disguised Drug

• MAINE: Opinion: Maine Turns a Corner on Opioid Crisis. Speed Bumps Remain

• CNN: U.S. Accuses Walgreens of Fulfilling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions

• WASHINGTON: Sen. Johnson Leads Effort to Pass Legislation Combatting Opioid Epidemic

• UCSF: Doctors Test a New Way to Help People Quit Fentanyl

• PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Rep. calls for Narcan to be put into schools

• CONNECTICUT: State to Invest $58.6 Million for Housing Recovering Opioid Addicts

• WEST VIRGINIA: Authorities Seize Sizeable Amounts of Heroin and Fentanyl in Lewis County Raid

• LAKE SUPERIOR: Native Bidaske with Philomena Kebec on Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Native Communities: An Insightful Interview

• MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts High School Adds Narcan Training to Health Curriculum

• UTAH: Fentanyl is the Most Common Drug Found in Overdose Deaths in Utah

• THE CONVERSATION: What the Opium Wars Can Tell Us About China, The U.S., and Fentanyl

• ARIZONA: Governor Hobbs Announces $17 Million Fentanyl Task Force, Border Security

• FLORIDA: Drop in Florida Drug Deaths, Experts Point to Narcan

• GEORGIA: Atrium Health Floyd Provides Narcan to Area School Systems

• TEXAS: Texas State Secures $1.8 Million Grant to Help Area Schools with Fentanyl Awareness

---

Finally …

Thank you for reading this newsletter. And don’t forget to check out past episodes of the podcast, including conversations with:

1. Journalist Ben Westhoff, the author of Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic.

2. Tony Mattivi, Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), shares his insights and experience.

3. Rolling Stone senior writer Paul Solotaroff authored a piece called “Inside Snapchat's Teen Opioid Crisis.”

4. Former Army Intelligence Officer Dale King uses CrossFit to treat addicts.

5. Ed Bisch, founder of Relatives Against Purdue Pharma RAPP, took on Big Pharma after his 18-year-old son Eddie overdosed on Oxycontin in 2001.

6. Dr. Kristin Martin, an accomplished osteopathic physician with extensive experience in emergency medicine, family medicine, and addiction medicine.

7. Former Alabama and Georgia strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran talks about his battle with addiction.

8. Charles Fain Lehman, a crime and drug policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute, discusses marijuana legalization.

9. Reuters senior correspondent based in Mexico, Drazen Jorgic.

10. Freelance journalist Philip Eil talks about his debut book, Prescription for Pain: How A Once Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.’

11. Emmy-Winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality and chef, Andrew Zimmern talks about the hidden dangers of alcohol.

12. Author and public policy advocate Ryan Hampton talks about his book, Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America’s Failed War on Drugs.

13. Carole Trottere, whose only child died at the age of 30 from fentanyl poisoning, on how the opioid epidemic leaves cllective grief and a burdened generation.

14. Dive into the critical conversation about opioid settlement funds with expert Aneri Pattan, Senior Correspondent, KFF Health News.

Watch us on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple. And please tell a friend.

Together, we can stop the poisoning!