With new announcements from Sean Spicer and Jeff Sessions regarding cannabis law, we have to ask what the future of legal marijuana will look like.
The medical and recreational marijuana industries have both been awaiting some ruling from the new regime. People are wondering how they will approach the gray area of marijuana legality. With someone like Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, every aspect of the industry has felt an ominous siege approaching. After his first speech on cannabis perhaps we weren’t wrong to be a little scared.
When discussing cannabis with reports at the Justice Department Sessions said, “Most of you probably know I don’t think America is going to be a better place when more people of all ages and particularly young people start smoking pot, I believe it’s an unhealthy practice and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago.”
He went on, “We’re seeing real violence around that,” Sessions said. “Experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved.”
These kinds of ignorant statements ring of the reefer madness age when people weren’t educated on the medicinal benefits of the plant. Sessions also stated his sympathy for places like Nebraska that have seen a flood of illegal cannabis enter their state lines since Colorado legalized in 2012.
Under President Obama in 2013, the Justice Department announced that it would not challenge any state laws regarding cannabis. But in a big shift, White House Press Secretary recently announced that the Trump Administration would seek “greater enforcement” of federal laws when it comes to the plant. Though he claims that he’s looking to keep current policy in mind while formulating new policies that will help reduce any risk to public health.
What do you think will happen to the cannabis industry under the Trump administration? Do you think that there will be any shake-up and regression, or perhaps just a stall in any new legislation?
