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President Trump has promised Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado that he will support states that choose to legalize cannabis, despite rescinding the Cole Memo earlier in the year. In exchange, Gardner will stop holding up the confirmation of Trump's Department of Justice nominees:
"Since the campaign, President Trump has consistently supported states' rights to decide for themselves how best to approach marijuana," Gardner said in a statement. "Late Wednesday, I received a commitment from the President that the Department of Justice's rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorado's legal marijuana industry. Because of these commitments, I have informed the Administration that I will be lifting my remaining holds on Department of Justice nominees," Gardner added.
The Washington Post first reported the development, and the White House confirmed on Friday Gardner's statement was accurate.
In January, Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked the Cole Memo, Obama-era guidance designed to discourage prosecutors from targeting states that have legalized marijuana. The move provoked an outcry from marijuana friendly states, including Gardner's Colorado, in which the marijuana industry has flourished since 2000. Angry that Sessions had reneged on his pledge to leave marijuana states alone, Gardner promised to block all DOJ nominations, pending a resolution. Since then, he has held up about 20 Justice nominations, the Washington Post reported.
The news caused a surge in the stocks of some cannabis companies.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who was "unalterably opposed" to legalization of cannabis back in 2011, has now evolved and is seeing green. Boehner announced that he has joined a board of advisers for Acreage Holdings, a cannabis corporation operating in 11 states. Is it a "watershed moment" for the industry?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 14 2018, @01:48PM (1 child)
You seem to imply his switch is related to a loss of morals on his part. In exchange for benefits.
I will tell you though that at least how marijuana laws came to be in 37’ (if memory serves) and how Nixon furthered the propaganda by using them as a powerful wedge between the dark skinned and the white skinned (given usage rates back then) that it is indeed moral to move away from those laws.
Here in Houston most of my redneck friends smoke pot. 60% or so regularly. However like in pulp fiction we know it is largely legal in our part of town. Save for highway travel cops don’t search our cars. Etc.
Glad to see our fellow Americans are seeing what I have enjoyed since I was a kid in the 80s. Smoking weed without fear.
My two encounters with the law in Oklahoma as a kid lead to nothing. Although one was 4oz and could have. But it was simply confiscated along with our 3 ice chests of beer in the back of our pickup. Cop got almost 3 cases of beer (6.0 from Kansas) and our bottle of southern comfort before we got to the river bonfire. Meh. But we had no fear of jail. Cops simply told us if the caught us out that night we would be arrested. Well they never found us at 5mile. And our friends had plenty for us when we arrived.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday April 14 2018, @08:01PM
Ah, OK back roads and law breaking. I have many fond memories involving both.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.