htownbrown Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 TRIAL OFFER | 4 weeks for 99¢ ADVERTISEMENT POLITICS Trump says he is likely to support ending blanket federal ban on marijuana By EVAN HALPER JUN 08, 2018 | 2:10 PM WASHINGTON President Trump speaks to the press before departing the White House for the G-7 summit. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump said he likely will support a congressional effort to end the federal ban on marijuana, a major step that would reshape the pot industry and end the threat of a Justice Department crackdown. Trump’s remarks put him sharply at odds with Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on the issue. The bill in question, pushed by a bipartisan coalition, would allow states to go forward with legalization unencumbered by threats of federal prosecution. Sessions, by contrast, has ramped up those threats and has also lobbied Congress to reduce current protections for medical marijuana. ADVERTISEMENT Trump made his comments to a gaggle of reporters Friday morning just before he boarded a helicopter on his way to the G-7 summit in Canada. His remarks came the day after the bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed their measure. One of the lead sponsors is Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who is aligned with Trump on several issues but recently has tangled with the administration over the Justice Department’s threats to restart prosecutions in states that have legalized marijuana. “I support Sen. Gardner,” Trump said when asked about the bill. “I know exactly what he’s doing. We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes.” The legislative proposal, which is also championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), would reshape the legal landscape for marijuana if it becomes law. inRead invented by Teads ADVERTISEMENT California and eight other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legalized all adult use of marijuana. An additional 20 states permit marijuana for medical use. But even as states legalize, marijuana has remained a risky and unstable business because of federal law making it illegal. Concerns about federal law enforcement seizures have inhibited most lenders from working with marijuana businesses. And investors have also proceeded cautiously. “If you are in the marijuana business … you can’t get a bank loan or set up a bank account because of concern over the conflict between state and federal law,” Gardner said at a news conference Thursday to unveil the new bill. “We need to fix this. It is time we take this industry out of the shadows, bring these dollars out of the shadows.” He called it a “public hypocrisy” that the firms are expected to pay taxes yet are barred from participation in the financial system. A lifting of the federal prohibition also would bolster efforts to create uniform testing and regulatory standards for marijuana, and potentially free scientists to pursue research into the medical uses of marijuana. Trump’s support could potentially have a major impact, providing political cover for Republicans who worry about being tagged as soft on drugs. Still, the proposal faces a tough road in Congress. Even though most lawmakers now represent areas where pot is legal for at least medical use — and public opinion polls show majorities of Democratic and Republican voters nationwide favor legalization — congressional leaders have shown little appetite for loosening restrictions. The House is blocking the District of Columbia from permitting sales of recreational pot, even after its voters chose to legalize. A 2014 budget amendment that protects medical marijuana businesses from Drug Enforcement Administration raids is perpetually under attack. “It faces tremendous head winds,” John Hudak, a marijuana policy expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said, referring to the Gardner-Warren bill. Trump said he is likely to support the federal legalization effort despite a warning against it from a coalition of narcotics officer groups. “We urge you to see through the smoke screen and reject attempts to encourage more drug use in America,” they wrote in a letter to Trump Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT The marijuana industry continues to be whipsawed by mixed messages from the administration. In January, the Justice Department sent pot businesses into a panic by rescinding an Obama-era policy that restricted prosecutors from targeting sellers who operate legally under state laws. Sessions warned at the time that any pot business could find itself in the crosshairs of prosecutors — regardless of whether marijuana was legal in their state. The move enraged Gardner, who said the administration had earlier given him assurances that there would be no such raids, at least in his state. At Gardner’s behest, Trump in April ordered an abrupt retreat from the announced crackdown. Trump made the order without even consulting Sessions, a sign of their tense relationship. But prosecutors did back off. During this administration, there have apparently been no federal raids or seizures of pot companies for sales that are legal under state law. “Remarkably little, if anything, has changed,” said John Vardaman, a former Justice Department attorney who helped draft the Obama-era rules, known as the Cole memo, after former Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole, who issued it. “Almost every U.S. attorney in states where marijuana is legal has decided to apply the same principles as the Cole memo,” said Vardaman, now an executive at Hypur, which sells banking compliance software to marijuana companies. Banking is the area in which the Gardner bill could most help pot companies. The Senate proposal, and a companion bipartisan measure in the House, would amend the Controlled Substances Act so that its marijuana provisions do not apply to any person or business that is in compliance with state laws. To put bankers at ease, it specifies that such marijuana sales would not be considered trafficking and do not amount to illegal financial transactions. “The very people you want involved in this market are the ones who have been most reluctant to get involved because of the banking issue,” said Vardaman. “If you address that, you would have enormous beneficial effects for the industry.” While Trump’s comments were welcomed by marijuana activists, they remain on edge, especially because of Trump’s spotty record at actually pushing legislation through Congress. “We have seen this president voice his support for a lot of things related to cannabis, but he has done absolutely nothing to move legislation,” said Hudak. “This is just more empty rhetoric from a president who is vague on this issue.” Gardner is hoping he can persuade more of his conservative colleagues to join the crusade by framing the issue as one of state’s rights. Several Republicans, including Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Don Young of Alaska, are demanding an end to federal marijuana laws that intrude on the states. Their movement is slowly growing in Congress. “This is a chance for us to express that federalism works,” said Gardner, who like some other Republicans was not a proponent of marijuana but took up the cause after his state’s voters endorsed legalization, “to take an idea that states have led with and provide a solution that allows them to continue to lead.” ADVERTISEMENT 2:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional analysis and reaction. This article was originally published at 8:50 a.m. Politics Newsletter Weekly Analysis and breaking news from our award-winning journalists in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Evan Halper Evan Halper writes about a broad range of policy issues out of Washington D.C., with particular emphasis on how Washington regulates, agitates and very often miscalculates in its dealings with California. Before heading east, he was the Los Angeles Times bureau chief in Sacramento, where he spent a decade untangling California’s epic budget mess and political dysfunction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 Might as well. I do Wonder if the profit to be made from the tax on it will be equal to the profit made by Prosecuting and defending weed dealers. But at the end of the day I'm just tired of hearing about it. Smoke em if you got em. I suppose the cartels will just have to redouble their efforts for cocaine crystal meth crack opioids Etc. Then I assume legalizing that crap will be the new frontier. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 he's just doing this to piss sessions off. have u guys still not figured this guy out? he's all talk. a group of lawmakers sit him down and take turns blowing him, he'll be back to opposing weed. the guy's sole overriding principle is based on who is currently as in right this second, sucking his finger. he has literally no personal convictions he is completely up for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 I don't really trust that Trump will do anything he says he will. But it would be great if he did this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicIsForSquares Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, MLD Woody said: I don't really trust that Trump will do anything he says he will. But it would be great if he did this Just get Carrot Top or Carson Daley to meet with him about it. That seems to be the fastest avenue. B level famous people could advocate us into a Utopia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicIsForSquares Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 That lady who got freed should send Ray J a thank you card for choosing to record himself having sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbrown Posted June 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 I have always liked this idea to at least close this market to cartels and petty hustlers alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 It's objectively the right thing to do. There are just too many people in this country that believe the misinformation and decades old propaganda. Kind of a theme around here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardBrownsFan Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 Pot makes you go blind and makes you a sexual pervert who becomes morbidly obese. MAGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 16 hours ago, MLD Woody said: It's objectively the right thing to do. There are just too many people in this country that believe the misinformation and decades old propaganda. Kind of a theme around here The effusive praise for weed as the new wonder drug is equally silly. But it is inevitable and Trump might as well get out in front of it. Even though the left won't give him props. They'd find something in that deal to attack. 😁 WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StinkHole Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 23 hours ago, Clevfan4life said: he's just doing this to piss sessions off. have u guys still not figured this guy out? he's all talk. a group of lawmakers sit him down and take turns blowing him, he'll be back to opposing weed. the guy's sole overriding principle is based on who is currently as in right this second, sucking his finger. he has literally no personal convictions he is completely up for sale. Stuart Lol..."Trump is all talk". Relying on Racheal Maddcow for your info it's easy how you would come up with such an idiotic conclusion. You think you've got him figured out? Figure this out dipstick... TRUMP APPROVAL RATING Better than Obama and Reagan at Same Point in their Presidencies President Trump’s approval is now at 45%.And that is with 90% negative coverage from the far left mainstream media. President Trump – 45% President Obama – 44% President Reagan – 44% On June 9, 2010 Barack Obama’s approval number was 46% on the Rasmussen poll. President Trump’s approval number is at 47% according to Rasmussen today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicIsForSquares Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 21 minutes ago, StinkHole said: Stuart Lol..."Trump is all talk". Relying on Racheal Maddcow for your info it's easy how you would come up with such an idiotic conclusion. You think you've got him figured out? Figure this out dipstick... TRUMP APPROVAL RATING Better than Obama and Reagan at Same Point in their Presidencies President Trump’s approval is now at 45%.And that is with 90% negative coverage from the far left mainstream media. President Trump – 45% President Obama – 44% President Reagan – 44% On June 9, 2010 Barack Obama’s approval number was 46% on the Rasmussen poll. President Trump’s approval number is at 47% according to Rasmussen today. Obama must have been doing a great job if opinion polls are the metric we are going to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicIsForSquares Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 Polls and job numbers always seem to be cooked when the other guy is in office. But when someone has their guy in office then the polling and job numbers are accurate. Politics is hilarious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunWeedBox Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 No, I think that in any case, such great things as rockstar will stay on the market. And legalization is going to proceed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 1 hour ago, FunWeedBox said: No, I think that in any case, such great things as rockstar will stay on the market. And legalization is going to proceed. WTF is rockstar? WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasAg1969 Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Westside Steve said: WTF is rockstar? WSS Come on old man. Keep up. Click "rockstar" in his post (and now yours too).😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 23 minutes ago, TexasAg1969 said: Come on old man. Keep up. Click "rockstar" in his post (and now yours too).😂 A strain of weed. BFD. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 Trump might support it, but he can't lift the ban - Congress makes the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cysko Kid Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 If Trump were to lift federal Marijuana ban Liberals would be like "marijuana is literally the worst thing in the world. Fu¢king racist!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 he's just trying to pander the black vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbrown Posted June 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Clevfan4life said: he's just trying to pander the black vote. Are you suggesting all black people smoke weed? Sounds.....what's that word again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 8 minutes ago, htownbrown said: Are you suggesting all black people smoke weed? Sounds.....what's that word again? what's that R word...……."right"? lols Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-sessions-anti-marijuana-agenda-is-racist-w514977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.