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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: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday April 14 2018, @12:38PM (12 children)
At least he made the right choice. Greed and weed are good.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by fritsd on Saturday April 14 2018, @12:50PM (2 children)
Sounds like a good name for a coffeeshop on Wall Street!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday April 14 2018, @02:19PM (1 child)
People don't know this, Lower Manhattan used to be called New Amsterdam. And it was Dutch!
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Saturday April 14 2018, @07:42PM
And Stuyvesant means: sand blowing in your face on the beach in an irritating way. Kinda.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Saturday April 14 2018, @02:49PM
Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. That was some serious evolving, to say greed is good.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 14 2018, @04:54PM (6 children)
He doesn't even have to explicitly state support for weed, all he has to do is just allow the legal weed industry and recreational usage to expand under his watch. Of course, if he did explicitly support dude weed lmao that would grant him instant re-election and shut up those whining liberals, who will be too stoned to continue to be angry at him.
As far as addressing the broader discussion, yes, beliefs can change. I used to be a liberal democrat and believed in multiculturalism and that all people are equal and that racial and ethnic stereotypes are false. Then real-life happened. Why wish for world peace when it's a lot easier to nuke scumbag cultures from the face of the Earth?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 14 2018, @06:04PM
Sounds like you need a special brownie, I bet it would help you become a better person.
(Score: 3, Informative) by archfeld on Saturday April 14 2018, @11:57PM (4 children)
They need to change the federal law so that the cannabis industry can deal with federally insured banks and the feds can get a share of taxes from what is sure to become a billion dollar or more industry. I have some friends in Oakland who've been growing and distributing for many years now under the previous co-op and medicinal laws, that have massive cash storage issues, and piles of cash set aside to pay what their accountant recommended was the approximate amount for federal taxes, just in case it got legalized or in case they got busted the could show good faith in the federal system by having ready tax money.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday April 15 2018, @11:04AM (2 children)
You're late to the party bud!
The (quasi)legal marijuana industry made 6.7 billion dollars in 2016 and were projected the hit 10b by the end of 2017. I didn't spend any time to see if they made that total, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a lowball. Here, there are 6 recreational shops within five miles of where I live and two within one mile, and I live on the outskirts of town.
It's a Forbes article, so it has that annoying Quote page before the article... https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2017/01/03/marijuana-sales-totaled-6-7-billion-in-2016/#2978601e75e3 [forbes.com]
Our state collected $319 million dollars in taxes and licenses last year. And the prices in the shops are comparable to the old street prices. Black market dealers are very few and far between, the black market is essentially dead here.
Amazingly, the world did not descend into chaos with the legalization of marijuana....crime went down, except for DUI for driving stoned, but that's a tad unfair as they never kept track of drugged driving over drunken driving in the past, and combined I don't believe it exceeded the old combined total, or if it did, not by much. And opioid use went down. It has been a net win all the way around.
You're far more likely to see grandma at the weed store than the stereotypical stoner, grandma has money.
https://www.tre.wa.gov/portfolio-item/washington-state-marijuana-revenues-and-health/ [wa.gov]
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Sunday April 15 2018, @06:52PM
:) I've been vaporizing with a homemade system since before California had medicinal, and part of a coop in Oakland for going on 20 years now. I regularly grow from clones at my place in the SF bay area, but here in AZ they are not so enlightened yet. My point was that despite the states legal standing, until the Feds do something as a commercial grower you can't deal with a bank or any federal institution. Oaktown has a huge cash storage issue. Financing for the initial build out of the Oaktown grow houses had to be done in cash and there is still an issue with what do with the profits. You can't secure a business loan for expansion because no bank will deal with you for fear of federal retribution. There is still the issue of retroactive federal taxation should things change for the better soon. You can't file for incorporation or any legal standing outside of the state and you can't legally transport or deal with any entity out of state. I understand Colorado and Washington have a great up and coming markets and are developing a thriving pot culture but neither has yet to reach the peak of the Trinity area in Northern California, where they have been experimenting with strains and growing method for 30 years now.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Monday April 16 2018, @05:04AM
Another thought occurred to me. We really need a test or some method to determine if a driver is stoned, NOW, or just has pot in their system from last weekend. I love to vape me some good wax, or just blow a turkey bag full of vapor and watch a movie with the GF, but I am against anyone driving under the influence of anything. I realize that is a bit hypocritical since in high school in the 80's we used to get blasted and go drag racing out in the sticks near Lodi, but today is a different day and all that shit. I also get annoyed that I have to clean up every 6 months or so that I can potentially take a drug test for a new contract. It would be awesome if you could smoke like people drink recreationally and not have the employment issues that come with partaking in pot. If you are a truck driver or on the job with a badge in a legal state you still can't partake at anytime...
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 3, Informative) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday April 15 2018, @11:08AM
Oops, forgot to mention (really great wax this week...whoa!) sales of legal marijuana in Washington state have climbed up to $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2017
(from the last link)
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday April 14 2018, @07:59PM
I disagree. There needs to be an amendment legalizing it or at the very least some law carving out things that the FDA is not allowed to regulate, otherwise you're just refusing to enforce the law because you don't like it and violating your oath of office. I fully believe it should be legal but making it legal also needs to be done legally.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.