Mike Tyson spoke about the need for federal marijuana rescheduling on a podcast hosted by the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller—saying he’s expecting “good news” on the issue soon.
In an episode of The Katie Miller Podcast that aired on Monday, Tyson criticized the current classification of cannabis as a dangerous drug warranting its criminalization, saying it’s a “medicine” and calling out politicians for being “afraid of a little flower.”
In clips of the interview shared with Marijuana Moment ahead of the full episode being posted, Tyson also downplayed the potential consequences of consuming too much cannabis, saying that, for the most part, taking too large of a dose just puts people to sleep. He questioned the current scheduling of the plant, though he initially misstated that cannabis is already a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug under the CSA, but President Donald Trump is actively considering a proposed rule initiated under the Biden administration that would move it to Schedule III. That wouldn’t legalize cannabis, but it would recognize its medical value, free up certain research barriers and allow licensed cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions.
While the former boxer, who also owns his own cannabis brand Tyson 2.0, has a relationship with Trump—he said during the interview that he hasn’t specifically discussed the issue directly with the president. However, he said he’s talked to “many people in the administration” about cannabis reform, and he’s “looking forward for good news” on the pending rescheduling proposal.
He also talked about professional athletes and marijuana use, saying it helps them relax and even “play better.”
“It’s just the truth—and I wish that I smoked when I was fighting,” Tyson said, while acknowledging that he engaged in the use of other illicit drugs such as cocaine while he was a full-time professional. But now he’s all about cannabis.
“This is what I do. I smoke marijuana, and that’s part of my life as a human being. It’s my journey,” he said. “If I was a role model and an alcoholic and drink liquor, would I want [fans] to do that? No, I wouldn’t want them to do that. I think, from my perspective, using cannabis, I think that’s safer than using alcohol.”
In June, the retired boxer also took to Fox News and delivered a message to the president, urging him to reschedule, and ultimately legalize, marijuana.
That interview came days after Tyson led a letter alongside other professional athletes and celebrities promoting cannabis reform that was sent to Trump, calling for rescheduling marijuana, expanding clemency and allowing licensed cannabis businesses to access the banking system.
Tyson, along with Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, also recently toured a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lab. And during his Fox News interview, he echoed points from that tour, asserting that illicit operators from China and Mexico are “filling our cannabis with fentanyl and pesticides and all that stuff, and it’s just killing human beings.”
Image element courtesy of Super Festivals.
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