Major cannabis companies contributed a combined $11.5 million to America First Agriculture Action Inc. a pro-Trump super PAC, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The donations coincide with the Trump administration’s move to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug and pending federal action on hemp regulation.

Verano, Curaleaf, Trulieve, and Vision Management Services each donated $2.5 million to the committee. Ascend Wellness contributed $500,000, while Arboretum Bidco donated $1 million. Vision Management Services is a subsidiary of Green Thumb Industries.

Trulieve also donated $250,000 to the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund. America First Agriculture Action Inc. has raised $13 million in the current election cycle. The committee filed its statement of organization in March and has released ads praising Trump’s marijuana policy.

Charles Gantt serves as treasurer for both MAGA Inc. and America First Agriculture Action Inc. The Sembler family has donated to conservative political causes. Miriam Adelson is a gambling billionaire.

Curaleaf is a Canadian cannabis company and the world's largest cannabis company by revenue as of 2025. Trulieve is a U.S. cannabis dispensary operator that had $1.2 billion in sales in 2022. Kim Rivers is the CEO of Trulieve.

Marijuana remains federally illegal in the United States. Marijuana is legally defined as cannabis with a THC concentration higher than 0.3% by volume. Hemp is legally defined as cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC by volume. Hemp became de facto legal in the United States under a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill.

A provision to close a loophole allowing the sale of psychoactive hemp products was included in a bill to reopen the government following the previous year's shutdown. The provision closing the psychoactive hemp loophole will not take effect until November. Approximately 1.6 million cases of intoxicating hemp beverages were sold last year. Approximately 2.5 billion cases of beer were sold last year.

Howard Kessler champions the hemp industry. Morgan Fox is the political director at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Ryan Hunter is the chief revenue officer at Spherex. Josh Kesselman is the Founder of RAW Rolling Papers.

"This is how Trump operates. You’ve got to grease the palms — whatever metaphor you want to use — and um so here we are. It’s not surprising to see these large amounts of money flowing into PACs that he’s in favor of. Just, unfortunately, how the game is played in this current era," Hunter said.

"We need to rationalize this. There’s no valid reason for the hemp industry to exist," Hunter said.

"If Washington gets this wrong, reform could end up favoring the players who spend the most on lobbying while leaving small farmers, independent operators and the people who built this movement behind," Kesselman said.

"This plant should not be handed over to cannabis oligarchs who profit at the expense of everyone beneath them. Any real reform has to protect access, protect small businesses, support research and move us closer to full normalization, not create a system where the culture gets pushed aside and the benefits flow only to insiders, lobbyists and billionaires," Kesselman said.