GOP Senator Tillis Says Marijuana Opponents Have Lost, Urges Federal Regulation Like Alcohol and Tobacco.

OG article created by Kyle Jaeger. Watch Today's LIVE Episode on YouTube, X and Rumble

June 25. 2025

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has declared that opponents of marijuana legalization “have lost” the fight to maintain prohibition, emphasizing the need for a federal regulatory framework to treat cannabis like alcohol and tobacco. In multiple settings, including an October 10, 2024, interview on the Honestly podcast hosted by the Family Policy Alliance and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on October 8, 2024, Tillis argued that the federal government must address the reality of widespread state-level legalization to create consistency and curb illicit operations.

During the podcast, Tillis acknowledged the cultural shift in favor of cannabis, stating, “Those that are trying to say, ‘No, we should never do this,’ I think have lost the debate in the broader culture.” He called for federal guardrails, saying, “The challenge that we have now is, how do we create the guardrails around this to be able to make sure it’s handled like alcohol and tobacco, rather than just letting it run wild?” Noting that 24 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana and 38 states allow medical cannabis as of October 2024, he added, “It’s one of those issues that, at this point, states are making their own decisions. And so, the federal government’s going to have to figure out, how do we create some sort of regulatory structure around it to be able to handle it, rather than just pretending it’s going to go away?”

Tillis stressed the need for strict regulations, particularly to protect youth and address impaired driving, stating, “If you’re going to treat it like alcohol, you’ve got to treat it like alcohol—age 21 and up, and you’ve got to have strict enforcement on it.” He also highlighted the increased potency of modern cannabis, warning, “What’s being sold now is not the same marijuana that was being sold 20 years ago. It’s far more potent, far more addictive.” Reflecting on sentiments in North Carolina, he noted, “I’ve had a lot of people in my state say, ‘I don’t know why we’re making a big deal out of this. It’s not nearly as bad as alcohol.’” However, he cautioned against normalizing cannabis for minors, calling for “honest conversations about what it does to a developing mind” and adding, “We need to have honest conversations about what we’re doing and the fact that we don’t want to normalize it for kids.” He concluded, “We’ve got to figure out how to resolve this, because right now, it’s a mess.”

At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which featured witnesses from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Tillis pressed DEA Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles Field Division Matthew Allen on cannabis policy. He reiterated his stance, saying, “I have tried to keep pounding the table and saying, ‘Folks, those of us who were not necessarily eager to legalize pot have lost.’ The majority of states have legalized it at some level or another. I don’t really have a whole lot of emotions about it personally, but for the fact that I don’t think we’re regulating it properly, and I do believe it’s just become another distribution channel for the cartels.”

Tillis argued that the lack of federal regulation, coupled with the policy disconnect between states and the federal government, has allowed illicit operators, including cartels, to thrive. “We’ve got to get this under control. We have to realize that pot is going to be legal in this country in one form or another, and virtually every other state,” he said. He proposed a regulatory model involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stating, “We can either figure out how to regulate it by putting a U.S. Department of Agriculture regimen in [and] an [Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] regimen in the same way that we do with alcohol and tobacco are.” He warned of the risks of inaction, saying, “We’re going to get way down the road without control over inputs, and the next thing the cartels are going to do is figure out how they can put—in the race for potency, once they run out of how you can actually do this through the plants, they’re going to figure out some way to make this more potent and more deadly.”

Tillis also suggested a flexible federal framework, stating, “I feel very strongly that we need to have a separate meeting about how do we create a construct that, if states want to opt into, they can—not make it legal federally—or this is getting out of control.” He emphasized that such a framework would allow states to set their own policies without federal interference, aligning with his view that Congress must act to resolve the current “mess.”

The senator raised concerns about a specific issue in North Carolina, where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has legalized medical and adult-use cannabis on their land, known as the Qualla Boundary, while the rest of the state maintains broad prohibition. He questioned the DEA representative about this discrepancy, noting, “they have a right to sell marijuana, I guess, as a recognized tribe.” However, he expressed frustration with the logistics, stating, “But they’re growing in one place and selling in another place. Not only are they—and let’s face it, folks, it’s a casino operation. It’s a destination. People are buying this stuff. You’d have to be out of your mind to think that they’re going to dispose of whatever is not used by the time they leave.” He described this as an “anomaly” and “one example of what happens when Congress fails to act on something that I think it’s time for us to act on.”

Tillis’s remarks align with growing public support for legalization, with a 2023 Gallup poll showing 68% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, favoring reform. He referenced the SAFER Banking Act, which would enable cannabis businesses to access financial services, as a potential step forward. The bill advanced through the Senate Banking Committee in 2023 but awaits a floor vote. Other proposals, like the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, aim for broader decriminalization, though Tillis did not endorse specific legislation. His consistent calls for regulation highlight his concern about the policy disconnect between state, federal, and tribal governments, which he believes exacerbates challenges like cartel involvement and regulatory inconsistencies.

By Jenny Beth Dills