At the mid-April National Cannabis Policy Summit in Washington, DC, one of the organizers Caroline Phillips called the candidates’ track records on cannabis inconsistent and incremental, with promises that have yet to materialize in substantial action. "We’ve heard promises from both administrations, neither of which have panned out in full," she told the VOA.

Though Biden took a step toward legalization in August 2022 by directing the Department of Health and Human Services to review marijuana’s classification as a controlled substance, advocates are pushing for full removal from the DEA’s Controlled Substances Act, that is to say, fully de-scheduling marijuana.

Since leaving office, Trump’s remarks have been hazy, reflecting a mixed position that does not clearly align with either side of the legalization debate. Nearly a year ago, he called cannabis "a pretty popular thing" from a voting standpoint. Shortly before that, he said mass shootings were "not a gun problem” but rather blamed them on “genetically engineered” cannabis. Trump has called for the death penalty for drug dealers on various occasions.

Morgan Fox, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) told the outlet at the DC summit, that Trump has practically avoided the issue of cannabis while on the campaign trail. "We haven’t heard too much from the Republican nominee so far," he said, calling both of the candidates' attitudes out of step with the vast majority of Americans.