The “drug czar” is the informal title for the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the official who coordinates federal drug policy, writes the National Drug Control Strategy and advises the president on drugs. The office was created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. Since January 2026 the drug czar has been Sara Carter, the first woman to hold the job.
What Does the Drug Czar Do?
The drug czar does not run the DEA, make arrests or decide how drugs are scheduled. The job is coordination and money. According to the ONDCP’s history and statutory duties, the director:
- Writes the annual National Drug Control Strategy, the administration’s drug plan
- Oversees the federal drug control budget spread across dozens of agencies, from the DEA to Health and Human Services
- Runs grant programs such as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), which fund joint federal, state and local task forces, and the Drug-Free Communities program
- Has overseen national anti-drug media campaigns and pays U.S. dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency
- Advises the president on drug policy, staffing and budgets
One duty matters most for cannabis. Under the 1998 ONDCP Reauthorization Act, the director must “take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use” of Schedule I drugs, including marijuana. That provision is why the office opposed state legalization ballot measures for years, even under presidents who were relaxed about enforcement.
The nickname “czar” stuck because the role sounds like a single commander of the drug war. In practice, the director’s power depends on how much the president backs the office. It held Cabinet-level status from 1993 to 2009.
Every Drug Czar and Their Marijuana Positions
| Director | Years | President | Record on marijuana |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Bennett | 1989-1990 | George H.W. Bush | First director; hardline enforcement and moral case against all drug use |
| Bob Martinez | 1991-1993 | George H.W. Bush | Former Florida governor; continued Bennett’s enforcement strategy |
| Lee Brown | 1993-1996 | Bill Clinton | Former police chief; shifted emphasis toward treatment for hardcore users |
| Barry McCaffrey | 1996-2001 | Bill Clinton | Retired Army general; fought California’s Prop 215 and warned doctors not to recommend marijuana |
| John Walters | 2001-2009 | George W. Bush | Opposed medical marijuana; named defendant when courts protected doctors’ speech |
| Gil Kerlikowske | 2009-2014 | Barack Obama | Dropped “war on drugs” language but opposed legalization |
| Michael Botticelli | 2014-2017 | Barack Obama | Focused on addiction treatment and the opioid crisis |
| Jim Carroll | 2018-2021 | Donald Trump | Focused on opioids and fentanyl |
| Rahul Gupta | 2021-2025 | Joe Biden | Physician; served as the administration pursued marijuana rescheduling |
| Sara Carter | 2026- | Donald Trump | Former journalist covering cartels; confirmed 52-48 |
Acting directors filled the gaps: John Walters (1993), Ed Jurith (2001 and 2009), Kemp Chester and Rich Baum (2017-2018), Regina LaBelle (2021) and Jon Rice (2025).
Bennett to McCaffrey: the hardline years
William Bennett, Reagan’s former education secretary, took office in March 1989 and treated drug use itself as the enemy, casual marijuana users included. His successors kept that frame. The sharpest marijuana fight came under Barry McCaffrey. After California voters approved medical marijuana with Proposition 215 in November 1996, the ONDCP director announced on December 30, 1996 that recommending Schedule I drugs was not in the “public interest” and could cost doctors their DEA registrations. Physicians sued. In Conant v. Walters (2002), the Ninth Circuit held that the government could not punish doctors for recommending marijuana, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case in October 2003. McCaffrey’s office also asked the Institute of Medicine to review the science, producing the 1999 report Marijuana and Medicine, which found some therapeutic potential for cannabinoids.
Kerlikowske: new language, same policy
Gil Kerlikowske, Seattle’s former police chief, told the Wall Street Journal in May 2009 that the administration would stop calling its policy a “war on drugs” and would lean toward treatment over incarceration. He was firm on legalization, telling Seattle’s KUOW that month that “legalization vocabulary doesn’t exist for me” and calling marijuana “a dangerous drug.” He warned California before its 2010 Proposition 19 vote and rejected the 2011 Global Commission on Drug Policy report that called the drug war a failure. In interviews through 2013, including one this site posted in June 2013, he kept both positions: against legalization, and against jailing people simply for using drugs. He left in March 2014 to run U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Botticelli to Carter: the opioid era
From 2014 on, the opioid and fentanyl crisis dominated the office, and marijuana slipped down its agenda. The legalization fight moved to the states and to the DEA’s scheduling process, where the Biden administration pursued moving marijuana to Schedule III. Sara Carter, a former investigative reporter known for border and cartel coverage, was confirmed on January 6, 2026, by a 52-48 vote, according to the White House. Filter reported that she has said she is not against legalization, though she has set out no formal marijuana policy.
The Drug Czar and Marijuana in 2026
The legal backdrop has shifted under the office. In April 2026, a DOJ and DEA order moved FDA-approved marijuana products and marijuana held under a state medical license to Schedule III; adult-use marijuana remains Schedule I, and a broader rescheduling hearing was stayed in September 2026. The 1998 law directing the drug czar to oppose legalization is still on the books. Our federal marijuana law guide tracks the rescheduling case, why marijuana is Schedule I explains the scheduling system, and the war on drugs history puts the office in context.
Drug Czar FAQ
Who is the current drug czar?
Sara Carter, confirmed by the Senate on January 6, 2026, by a 52-48 vote. She is the first woman to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
What is the official title of the drug czar?
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, part of the Executive Office of the President. “Drug czar” is a nickname.
Who was the first drug czar?
William Bennett, who became the first ONDCP director in March 1989 under President George H.W. Bush.
Does the drug czar control the DEA?
No. The DEA is part of the Justice Department. The drug czar coordinates policy and budgets across agencies but does not command them.
Is the drug czar required to oppose marijuana legalization?
Yes. The 1998 ONDCP Reauthorization Act directs the office to oppose attempts to legalize Schedule I drugs, which includes adult-use marijuana.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not legal or medical advice.