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Public health experts have raised concerns that Trump’s pick for the Health and Human Services department may impede access to pharmaceuticals and instead, favor experimental therapies. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who was selected by the incoming president recently, is an attorney with no background in government public health.
He has in the past voiced his distrust for pharmaceutical drugs, going as far as to ‘call out’ the country’s healthcare system for allocating billions to the powders, potions and pills instead of getting individuals to strengthen their immune systems. Kennedy has also criticized the Food and Drug Administration for suppressing psychedelic drugs and called the United States the sickest nation worldwide on his podcast.
In addition to this, he promotes various conspiracy theories about the healthcare system, including a debunked theory on how vaccines caused autism.
Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, director of the Yale Collaboration for Regulatory Rigor, Integrity, and Transparency, argues that these theories are tricky as they contain a mix of conspiracy and truth. She adds that the disregard Kennedy has for scientific evidence is deeply troubling.
During his campaign, he maligned SSRIs and Adderall and claimed that if he was elected, he would legalize marijuana and use taxes generated to establish wellness farms that would repair individuals with addiction. This has raised worry among those who rely on SSRIs and Adderall that Kennedy may criminalize these drugs.
Ramachandran notes that as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy would wield power that could negatively affect the healthcare system. While the Health and Human Services department traditionally defers to agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, Ramachandran explains that there could be instances where the department could veto these agencies.
Dr. Ramachandran is also concerned that Kennedy may overturn decisions made recently by the FDA that he’s criticized, like the recalling of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus.
All these, as well as the fact that he himself has criticized the president-elect rather harshly, also make Trump’s choice a bit of a surprise. There seems to be a pattern here though, as some of the president-elect’s other cabinet picks have also expressed mistrust in the agencies they were assigned to oversee.
For instance, Tulsi Gabbard has, in the past, echoed Russian propaganda about American intelligence. She was picked by Trump to become the Director of National Intelligence. Matt Gaetz, another pick, believes the January 6th Capitol Attack was an act run by the federal government to cover a stolen election. Gaetz was set to become the AG before he withdrew himself from consideration.
The incoming Secretary in charge of HHS could initiate changes that open more space for marijuana firms like TerrAscend Corp. (TSX: TSND) (OTCQX: TSNDF) as the therapeutic potential of cannabis gets more mainstream acceptance.
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