It’s been almost 6 months since President Donald Trump took office, but despite a lot of fear, it’s had little to no impact on marijuana laws throughout the country.
When Donald Trump won the election for president of the United States, many in the marijuana community were worried what it might mean for state-level marijuana laws. But for many others, there was a sense of quiet optimism. After all, Trump has said before that he’s “100%” in favor of medical marijuana, and that he supports state rights. Although it was many years ago, he’s previously stated his support for legalizing all drugs.
However, it wasn’t long before fear, rightfully so, began to increase. Trump began making subtle, but certainly worrisome comments, and he hired longtime prohibitionist Jeff Sessions to be the nation’s attorney general. Despite this, nothing much has came of this fear, and there’s reason to believe it will stay this way.
The Trump Administration has been unclear about how they will handle marijuana, which remains illegal on the federal level despite numerous states having legalized it. However, that hasn’t stopped marijuana growers from creating a strain in Trump’s honor: Donald Trump OG.
According toAllBud.com: “Trump OG is an indica dominant hybrid strain created through crossing the infamous OG Kush X Presidential OG.” They state that; “Even if you didn’t vote for him, don’t let that cloud your judgment on this giggle-inducing bud!” It has a “super high 20.5% average THC level” and a “myriad of head and body effects”.
Donald Trump OG is the perfect bud for treating chronic pain, insomnia, migraines or headaches. It has a musky smell and flavor with welcomed hints of citrus.
The top effects of Donald Trump Marijuana OG:
Sleepiness
The “giggles”
Increase appetite
Some of the top medical ailments Donald Trump Marijuana OG helps with are:
Despite well-founded fear in the cannabis culture about the nation’s new president, Donald Trump is unlikely to go after state-level cannabis laws.
(Photo: MarijuanaStocks.com)
Instead, we believe that the Trump Administration will take a hands-off, allow-the-states-to-decide approach that will allow things to continue, for the most part, as they have the past several years.
Here’s a few reasons why:
First off, politics
For whatever you may think of Donald Trump, he knows how to play politics. No one can win the presidency if they don’t.
Years before becoming the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump was firmly in support of legalizing drugs to end the drug war.
“We’re losing badly the war on drugs”, Trump said in a 1990 Miami Herald interview. “You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.”
Over 25 years later, and how newly-elected President Trump will handle the war on drugs is yet to be seen. On the campaign trail he mostly strayed away from the subject; the comments he did make were unfortunately more aligned with a typical Republican candidate than his 1990 remarks, but what he’ll actually do as president is entirely unknown.
By Todd Mitchem (this article originally appeared on TheHill.com and was republished with special permission)
Due to the largely unfounded and negative speculations that have lately sprung up in the media, contemplating and trying to predict the new administration and its position on cannabis legalization, we are seeing much uncertainty around the country as it pertains to our industry. The fear perpetrated in media coverage like this, in a time when we should be waiting to see what will actually happen, is astonishing and not helpful. This is not the conversation that we should be having.
If you look at the facts, legal cannabis could be a great thing for the Trump administration; but it will take us working closely together.
Here are four reasons why the cannabis industry should work with, not against, the AG around the topic of legalized cannabis – and why we should not live in a fearful mindset with regard to this new administration.
State Rights
If worse came to worse and a universal federal reversal was executed, it would not only be a very time consuming process to re-define marijuana legalization across the nation, but it could also start a state by state nationwide federal lawsuit surge arguing that the federal government is sending mixed messages. The factors that would be taken into consideration for the state vs. federal lawsuits would be the Cole memo, which states clear parameters to which states could allow for marijuana sales and regulations to be legal with the federal law’s current hands off approach.
If the marijuana legalization policy was reversed it would be a huge financial (talking in millions) and time drain for the inbound administration to fight marijuana advocates, the industry and individual states, especially on the medical side. Not to mention the large drain to the DEA’s time and resources away from the fight of serious drugs like heroin, and meth. Don’t forget, Trumpis a business leader first and as any smart CEO will tell you, you don’t spend money fighting something you could make money embracing. It’s simple economics.
Federal Budgets
The federal budgeting process is complicated and time consuming. It starts with the President-elect’s proposed budget that is an annual budget request sent to Congress. Traditionally, the proposal is done on the first Monday in February, though that date often slips. So this means it can take a much longer period of time just to submit a proposed budget for almost a year in advance. It is also critical to remember that the president’s budget proposal is a request that Congress has to review and approve.
The entire process, if everyone meets the given deadlines, can take the better part of a year. So, what does this mean to marijuana policy? Essentially, it means that if the new Attorney General wants to increase the DEA spending budget to essentially go after the entire industry – now an over $6 billion industry – he will need to submit the plan in the upcoming budget and hope congress approves for this massive expenditure and for marijuana law reversals priority over other national matters.
The President
The third and perhaps most critical element of the entire debate, is the President-elect himself. While being often unpredictable, President-elect Trump seems to like results. After all he did win the election and fought a hard campaign to do so. If the President of the United States takes a positive position on Marijuana policy the incoming AG will be asked to do the same. It would be a real challenge if the AG went against the President.
Secondly, let’s not forget the President-elect is a business leader, who fired people beautifully, on his own reality show. If he is not satisfied with a person’s behavior he could simply relieve them of duty. So why would a President Trump want to leave legal marijuana alone? In a simple term, economic impact. The new administration will have many new policies, which will need funding; marijuana is a huge tax win for the federal government. Regardless of your view of marijuana or its legalization, there is no denying that when a $6 billion industry pays federal taxes we all win. There are companies who generate revenue of $6 billion who don’t pay much tax, so this is a welcomed positive for federal regulators just like it is for states like Colorado and Oregon.
It would be more likely that the inbound President, a business leader, would see legal marijuana as a potential win; both for approval rating as well as economic impact not just financially, but also in job creation.
Over 100,000 jobs will be generated in the next two years in California alone. It’s good for business and stops jobs from leaving America.
Cartels
No President wants to allow more and more illegal drugs into this country. By enforcing marijuana federal law, the federal government would be creating a $6 billion hole in demand; the cartels will gladly fill this with more illegal marijuana from across the border. By regulating and allowing for legal marijuana we are taking those dollars away from cartels. Heck we could even propose using tax dollars from marijuana to fund the wall construction Trump wants.
So, while nothing is certain, it is not a time for fear. What we need is a calm and rational conversation, not articles aggravating the masses with fear based on rhetoric. Trying to predict the future and the actions of government officials in the face of a new presidency; while completely abandoning the need to focus on new programs and the nation’s top priorities; is wrong and potentially dangerous. I for one am hopeful that leaders like President-elect Trump will see the light; that he will work with us to build a framework that’s mutually beneficial to consumers as well as the government.
Todd Mitchem has aided or founded several companies in the cannabis space, including O.penVAPE, CannaSearch, Mindful, ION and High There!, and has worked with top lawmakers in every state to ensure the cannabis industry operates with the highest of standards. He self-identifies as an entrepreneur, leader, and disruptor, known for his ability to structure, re-structure, and build companies. Check out his upcoming book, You, Disrupted:Seizing the Life You Want by Shaking, Breaking, and Challenging Everything.
A petition calling on President-elect Donald Trump to respect state cannabis laws has launched on Change.org.
“Donald Trump will soon become the 45th President of the United States”, starts the petition. “Trump’s victory comes as four additional states legalize cannabis for recreational purposes, and three more states legalize cannabis for medical purposes (with a fourth voting to restore patients’ rights revoked by state lawmakers). Although Trump has given no indication he will enforce federal cannabis laws in these states, he also hasn’t made it clear that he won’t, leaving many to wonder what his plan of action (or inaction) will truly be.”
One of the most volatile presidential elections in recent memory is finally over. And the winner? Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has officially reached the number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Trump will mark the Republican’s first return to the White House since President Bush left in 2008.
For the cannabis consumers and advocates out there, they’re probably wondering what this means for them. Well, at this point it’s hard to tell. In the past Trump has stated that he’s “100 percent” in support of medical cannabis. He’s also stated he supports state rights in regards to legalization. However, he has also spoken in strong opposition to legalizing cannabis (despite previously saying he supports legalizing all drugs), so where exactly his actual policies will land is still to be determined.
During a speech on Saturday in New Hampshire presidential candidate Donald Trump called on rival Hillary Clinton to be drug tested prior to the final debate on Wednesday. Trump says he’s willing to take a drug test himself.
“We should take a drug test prior cause I don’t know what’s going on with her,” Trump said at the event, held at the back lot of a Toyota dealership. “But at the beginning of last debate, she was all pumped up at the beginning and at the end it was like, oh take me down. She could barely reach her car.”
Trump’s claim echoes one recently made by the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Number 1. In a TV ad from last week they proposed candidates be drug tested, which was played over sounds of Clinton coughing and included imagery of her stumbling to her van on 9/11.
Donald Trumps blames unrest in Charlotte on “drugs.”
Donald Trump’s efforts to reach out to the black community took yet another stumble-footed turn Thursday when he went off-script to blame the unrest shaking Charlotte this week not on police violence or racial inequality, but drugs.
“If you’re not aware, drugs are a very, very big factor in what you’re watching on television,” the GOP contender claimed. He offered no evidence to support his claim.
Charlotte is only the latest American city to see outbreaks of street violence amid protests over the police killings of black men. In this case, it was the gunning down of Keith Scott Tuesday by an undercover Charlotte police officer. Scott’s family maintains he was unarmed and holding only a book, while police say he was armed and they recovered a weapon at the scene. Police have so far refused to release body-cam video of the killing.
A new survey we conducted in conjunction with Survey Monkey has found that a slight plurality, though far from a majority, of cannabis consumers who are likely to vote in the upcoming election support Hillary Clinton for president. Governor Gary Johnson came in a close second (close enough to be within the margin of error), with Donald Trump and Dr. Jill Stein falling not far behind (though outside of the margin of error).
According to the poll, 29.4% of likely voters who consume cannabis at least once a month support Hillary Clinton, who won the plurality of the vote. Gary Johnson received 26.3% support, with Trump coming in third with 24%. Stein finished last among the group, but not by far, garnering 20.2% support.
