cannabisnews.com: Trump Supports Relaxing Federal Pot Laws
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Trump Supports Relaxing Federal Pot Laws
Posted by CN Staff on June 08, 2018 at 16:30:22 PT
By Matt Ferner
Source: Huffington Post
Washington, D.C. -- President Donald Trump said Friday that he “probably” will support a new congressional bill that would prevent the federal government from interfering with states that legalize marijuana.Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Thursday introduced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Entrusting States (STATES) Act. The bold bill would allow businesses and individuals working in the burgeoning legal marijuana industry in states around the nation to operate without fear of U.S. Department of Justice prosecution. The bill would also protect banks that work with state-legal marijuana businesses.
When reporters asked about his support for the legislation, Trump said “I really do,” just before he boarded a helicopter on his way to the G7 summit in Canada. “I support Sen. Gardner. I know exactly what he’s doing. We’re looking at it, but I probably will end up supporting that, yes.”Marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act, despite states’ efforts to scale back on criminalizing the plant over the past few years. Legal recreational marijuana has been approved in nine states and Washington, D.C., which continues to ban sales, unlike the state programs. A total of 29 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. If Trump signs the bill into law, the legislation would resolve that conflict between the state and federal marijuana laws.But before Trump can sign anything, the bill, of course, must make it through Congress. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has said recently that he opposes federal marijuana legalization. And his office echoed that today when HuffPost reached out for comment. Stephanie Penn, press secretary for McConnell said, “As the senator said on numerous occasions, including a recent media stakeout: ‘I do not have any plans to endorse the legalization of marijuana.’”The supportive remarks put Trump, who repeatedly said he would respect states’ rights on marijuana during his campaign for the presidency, in direct conflict with the views of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The former Alabama senator has long held draconian views on marijuana and has advocated for the disastrous war on drugs. In January, Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance that urged federal prosecutors to refrain from targeting state-legal marijuana operations. This move has possibly paved the way for a federal crackdown on legal marijuana. Gardner and Warren, both supporters of marijuana legalization by states, developed the bill in response to Sessions’ action.At a Thursday press conference regarding the new bill, Gardner said he had spoken to the president about the legislation. “In previous conversations, he talked about the need to solve this conflict,” Gardner said. “He talked about his support for a states’ rights approach during the campaign. Not putting words in the mouth of the White House, but I think this will be an opportunity for us to fulfill what is that federalism approach.”Sessions said during an interview with Colorado Public Radio on Friday that he didn’t attend the Gardner and Trump meetings on the proposed change to federal marijuana policy.Advocates who support the end of federal marijuana prohibition were hopeful that Trump’s remarks could lead to meaningful policy change. “The president has a rare opportunity to get behind a truly historic policy change that has bipartisan backing and significant public support,” said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a drug policy reform group.Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States, and the trend of states bucking prohibition in favor of legal regulation of the plant reflects a broad cultural shift toward greater acceptance of marijuana. National support for the legalization of the drug has risen dramatically in recent years, recently reaching historic highs in multiple polls. And states like Colorado, the first to establish a regulated adult-use marijuana marketplace, have seen successes that have debunked some lawmakers’ and law enforcers’ predictions that such policies would result in disaster. “President Trump’s statement of likely support for the STATES Act shows how truly mainstream federal marijuana reform has become,” said Michael Liszewski, policy advisor at Drug Policy Alliance. “To have a bill introduced by two prominent members of both political parties that would allow states to set their own marijuana laws and less than 24 hours later have the president say he’s more than open to the proposal means that we are closer than ever to passing meaningful marijuana reform at the federal level.”Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Matt FernerPublished: June 8, 2018Copyright: 2018 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://tinyurl.com/yc2ek97jCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on June 19, 2018 at 16:43:38 PT
Take it easy, guys.
No one's a Trump fan here. Least of all me. On the other hand, Ms. Clinton wouldn't have helped us at all. I saw that clearly by her deer in the headlights astoundment when someone asked her about legalization."There's too much money in it!", she said with amazement that the question was even asked. She wasn't talking about the dealers and cartels either. She was talking about her "Friends" in law enforcement and drug testing and God only knows who and what else are making money off the illegality of it. She would protect them before she'd protect cannabists. That was glaringly obvious to me.We only stand a glimmer of a chance of Trump not getting in the way or vetoing or opposing progress because the cannabis business has grown enough that there are obvious profits for the people and the country in cannabis production and sales, and little to none of the downside that prohibitionists promised would follow legalization, now that he, as the quintessential businessman that he's supposed to be would consider supporting. He, as that businessman, should be able to see that there is a lot more possible profit for the state and the people than the income from the prohibitionist's drug testing and excessive enforcement of outdated laws can support.That's really been my only hope in him. And that's faint. Surely, if he's all that business oriented, he can see that. I hope.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on June 16, 2018 at 14:59:05 PT
Correction, The Reverent BGreen!
(I like that signature.)I hope I didn't sound like I was praising him for anything. I don't hate him... but I sure don't like his ways and personality. Aaaargh!On the other hand, even not nice people occasionally do something right. If he does nothing else from here on out on legality of cannabis other than stand back and let freedom and justice happen...he'll have helped more than some have. IF he actively helps... I really might send him a note of appreciation. Then I'll praise my God and be shouting "Hallelujah!" and then I'll be praising the acts of all you guys that are a part of the many, many cohorts we have mustered over these many years of a grave and foolish injustice.But I haven't lost my mind. I know what he is and am not a fan of his at all. I don't want him to fail as a president, though. I want him and the country to do well... in spite of him and his doubtful ways.No. I don't trust him, either. Any farther than I can throw him. Which isn't far at all.
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Comment #5 posted by BGreen on June 13, 2018 at 22:36:38 PT
Trump knew all along what Sessions wanted
I believe Trump knew Sessions wanted to wage war on cannabis and Trump believed if he let Sessions do what he wanted then Sessions would allow Trump to become a dictator with no restraints.When it became clear that no one could justify the unlawfulness of a President without restraint, Trump did the only thing his limited bag of tricks would allow and that was to call Sessions names and take away something from him that he wanted more than life itself ... the continued persecution and torture of partakers of cannabis.It doesn't matter how cannabis is legalized, even if it's due to a petty, hateful war between petty and hateful rulers. What is righteous is righteous only because it is righteous, no matter how ugly of a wrapper surrounds it.The Reverent Bud Green
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Comment #4 posted by BGreen on June 13, 2018 at 18:54:57 PT
Trump and Sessions
I love you with all of my heart, Hope, but can we really praise Trump for keeping Sessions in check when we wouldn't even have Attorney General Sessions if he wasn't first appointed BY Trump? It was Session's craziness that attracted him to Trump in the first place.The fact that Trump has been marginally effective in controlling the monster he created is less than impressive in my book.The Reverent Bud Green
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Comment #3 posted by BGreen on June 13, 2018 at 18:45:37 PT
Donald Trump cannot tell the truth
It doesn't matter what President Trump says because he says anything he thinks will serve him at that particular second. If a person takes every side of an issue depending on what time of day or mood they're in, they're eventually bound to be correct. It's impossible to trust someone who lies a little, let alone lies with every utterance that is made.The fact is that it matters not what Mr. Trump thinks or does. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what is right, and we have been pointing out what is right for decades. We don't need a petulant man-child to decide for us what we already know.Let's keep our eyes off of these people and keep our focus on the only thing that is right ... the complete freedom of the cannabis plant and those who choose to partake of this healing gift.The Reverent Bud Green
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on June 11, 2018 at 21:12:17 PT
I've been away from the computer
for several days and someone told me about this while I was at a ballgame out of state. Except they told me they had heard Trump was going to legalize it. I wasn't exactly flabberghasted or even surprised... but I was glad to hear this. Very glad. Actually, I couldn't believe it for sure until I saw it myself. I thank God. I hope Trump finally does some good for us on our issue. He's already done well in my book by not letting Sessions tell him what to do. I may have to write this President a handwritten Thank You note when all is said and done. I'll be happy to if he helps us end the truly terrible injustice of this prohibition. It's never been about the cannabis for me... it's about what's been done to people over the cannabis. That had to stop and it's getting better. Much better. And in our lifetimes, too! I'm very happy and very thankful about all this.This is good. It's all taken way longer than it should have... but it's getting better every day... and that's really what makes America great. Liberty and Justice... for all. 
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Comment #1 posted by Patrioticdissension on June 09, 2018 at 19:54:05 PT:
Jenga!
Looks like were about to pull out the last piece before the tower of federal cannabis prohibition crashes down.
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