Trump's Surprising Support for Weed

A bill has been proposed by Senator Cory Gardner (R, Colorado) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, Massachusetts) that will amend the Controlled Substances Act and loosen federal regulations on marijuana, and it's being supported by non other than President Donald J. Trump. Yes, the same man that appointed Jeff Sessions, a man who has stated that heroine and weed are essentially the same thing, has come out in support for the reclassification of marijuana.

“We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes," The President said as he was leaving Washington to attend the G-7 summit in Canada. He has also taken some rather hostile stances towards his Attorney General (Sessions), and this stance seems to be the final icing on the cake.

Alongside pardoning Alice Johnson, who was serving 63 years for non-violent drug offenses, and stating that marijuana policy should be handled as a "state issue," Trump seems to be leaning towards a more socially-moderate/Libertarian approach to marijuana policy. This could be one of the largest steps towards full-scale legalization we've seen, and it's being done by the least popular president in history. And the sad thing is people would rather see everything else and complain, instead of read about this one of the few (if any) things he's actually doing right.

I'm not a Trump supporter, and I don't plan on becoming one, but we should give credit where credit is do. It may not be full on legalization, but the fact that a typically conservative-leaning Republican is taking a more lenient stance on a highly debated issue, says a lot about how the American social climate is shifting, regardless of party lines.

If the President does decide to help in the effort, it would also end the threat that the Department of Justice made for cracking down on marijuana, even in states where it's legal. Considering the blanket ban at the Federal level will be diminished, it could lead to more protective regulation to both the businesses and the actual product. Uniform testing will be more easily conducted, and these businesses will be able to participate in the financial system. With the conflict between state an federal law, many people in the industry can't open up proper bank accounts or take out loans. This could potentially all end with Trump's support of the bill. And considering his entire platform essentially surrounded job growth, this bill could lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs as more and more states loosen up their regulations.

I'm from a liberal blue-state and though recreational weed isn't legal, possession and use is decriminalized, roughly 70 million Americans can legally posses recreational herb, and over 200 million citizens have access to medical strains. But in my state, distribution is still a felony with a minimum sentence of 5 years. And in many other states, there are serious consequences to possession or distribution. If Trump decides to go through and support this bill and then pass it, less people will be getting arrested for a plant, more people will have access to the medicine they need, and more research can be done to find all other potential uses of marijuana and hemp. We can also let our friend Jeff Sessions know that lobbying and trying to stay in the 1940s is not an effective way of getting your legislation passed.

So there’s a strong potential that soon in the United States, me and every other American can finally smoke on their porch without the risk of arrest or fines (I’m just kidding Mom and Dad, I don’t smoke)….

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