“Among those in favor of reclassifying the drug was Howard Kessler, a billionaire financier and longtime Trump ally, who pushed for the Medicare proposal.

‘President Trump’s executive order has unleashed a seismic shift in health care—one of the boldest breakthroughs in generations,’ Mr. Kessler, a leukemia survivor and founder of The Commonwealth Project, said in a statement. ‘While the rescheduling of cannabis will dominate the headlines, it’s his revolutionary pilot Medicare program that brings immediate, life-altering relief and access to cannabinoid-based therapies for millions of seniors grappling with chronic pain and debilitating conditions.’” – The New York Times

“For seniors, CBT is a game changer offering safe, evidence-based options for chronic conditions that traditional meds often fail,” Howard Kessler, a longtime Trump supporter and the founder of the Commonwealth Project, a pro-medical cannabis group, said in a statement.” – The Washington Post

“Announcing the order from the White House podium on Dec. 18, Trump thanked Kessler, saying, ‘We have people begging for me to do this, people that are in great pain. I have probably received more phone calls on this, on doing what we’re doing.’” – The Wall Street Journal

“The proposal has been pushed by Howard Kessler, a payments financier close to the president who has advocated for expanded CBD access. He was among the cannabis-industry leaders who met with Trump on the plans to reschedule cannabis. Kessler and Rivers both attended the rollout Thursday in the Oval Office.” – Bloomberg

“High on that list of people was Howard Kessler, a financial services executive and longtime friend of Trump’s who attended the future president’s wedding to Melania Trump in 2005. Kessler pushed and prodded Trump to sign the executive order, according to multiple cannabis industry and administration officials with knowledge of how it came about. He was also a champion for one of the other policy changes Trump announced Thursday: a pilot program that would allow Medicare to cover treatments involving CBD for seniors.” – Politico

“Howard Kessler, a credit card entrepreneur who runs The Commonwealth Project, an organization focused on integrating medical cannabis and senior care, was also present. The sources told Forbes that President Trump was persuaded in part because marijuana is clearly not as dangerous as heroin, he wants to see more robust research, and he wants to support a $32 billion homegrown American industry.” – Forbes

“During the signing, Howard Kessler said the CBD pilot program will help millions of Americans.

‘We want to help people 65 and over,’ Kessler said, ‘and hopefully change the world.’” – Forbes

“Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on Thursday also announced a new model to unlock funding for CBD for some seniors — an initiative championed by Trump’s longtime friend Howard Kessler, an advocate for expanded medical cannabis access.” – CNN

“Asked to respond to some Republicans on the Hill who’ve been critical of reclassification, Trump invoked Kessler, a leukemia survivor, and other friends who he said have reached out to him on the issue.” – CNN

“Trump’s executive order proposes allowing Medicare recipients to access cannabidiol, a.k.a. CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in cannabis, under the federal healthcare plan. Howard Kessler, founder of The Commonwealth Project, an organization promoting CBD, was present at the signing; Trump remarked that Kessler looks “better than he did 20 years ago,” presumably due to his use of CBD, which Trump touted on Truth Social in September as a “game changer” for seniors. The Commonwealth Project website issued a press release applauding Trump for his executive order “unlocking” medical cannabis.” – Rolling Stone