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Within minutes of press secretary Sean Spicer’s comment on February 23 that we can expect “greater enforcement” of marijuana laws by the Trump administration, outcries resounded throughout the marijuana industry.

“Over 60 percent of Americans support cannabis legalization. It is one of the few bipartisan issues that actually has the potential to unite us right now. Our country and many of our citizens are still recovering from the devastation of a failed Drug War. It would be a crime to waste any more resources prohibiting adult access to this safe, effective medicine,” says Christie Strong, marketing communications manager for Kiva Confections.

Others warn the administration of a potential legal battle and take some hope in the fact that Spicer has previously made inaccurate statements from the press-secretary podium. “Sean Spicer’s comments on recreational marijuana seem to be a disturbing departure from Trump’s purported position on states’ rights. We will have to see how this plays out. I suspect this issue will end up being litigated at the Supreme Court. Let’s not forget, however, this is the same guy who falsely reported on the attendance at the inauguration,” says Steve Gormley, CEO of Seventh Point LLC.

Danny Davis, managing partner at Convectium, hopes that Spicer’s sentiments are not shared throughout the administration. “We are hopeful that Mr. Spicer’s comments are not representative of the entire administration,” he says. “Many of the states that helped elect President Trump just voted to also support recreational marijuana. It is hard to imagine that he would push an agenda with the support ratings where they are. As an equipment company, we represent both the recreational and medicinal markets, but we would hate to see an action that would stop the current multi-state momentum for recreational.”

Last week, we posted about a petition launched by the Marijuana Majority calling on president-elect Donald Trump to respect cannabis laws in states such as Colorado, which has legalized limited pot sales for recreational purposes.

In an interview with Westword, Marijuana Majority chairman and founder Tom Angell also expressed concern about the marijuana views of the person whom Trump would choose to fill the position of attorney general in his administration. Among the names floated at the time were New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who’d vowed to crack down on Colorado’s marijuana system during his own failed run for the presidency, and onetime New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, another well-known weed hater.

The president-elect may not be a hardliner, but he’s surrounded himself with them.

Here’s your daily round-up of pot-news, excerpted from the newsletter WeedWeek

The all-but-final Election Day tally is California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine legalized REC, whileFlorida, Arkansas, and North Dakota legalized MED.

Arizona rejected a REC measure. Montanans voted to allow a MED industry, though it remains contentious.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R), a legalization opponent and former DEA chief, said the process requires federal input. “It’s an example of the states innovating in a risky area, and certainly the states are leading on this, but we’re to a point that the federal government is going to have to readdress this,” he said. “This does not call for a state-by-state solution, it calls for … a national solution.”

This is an early indication that the cannabis industry will be harder for the Donald Trump administration to ignore than it was for the Obama administration.

Vice president elect Mike Pence (R) has replaced New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as head of Trump’s transition team. Both are known for their hardline stances against legalization, as is former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, a possible attorney general in the administration.

Several pieces speculate on what a Trump presidency means for legalization. Here are three:  The Cannabist, MJBiz, Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting).

Drug Policy Alliance head Ethan Nadelmann said, “the federal government retains the power to hobble much of what we’ve accomplished…The progress we’ve made … will be very much at risk when Donald Trump enters the White House.”

Vivian Azer, a stock analyst with Cowen, predicts cannabis will be a low priority for Trump.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D.-Ore.), probably pot’s best friend in Congress, said he thinks the industry’s priorities for banking and tax reform could both pass a Republican Congress under President Trump.

 

It’s a big step towards national legalization.

Here’s your daily round-up of pot-news, excerpted from the newsletter WeedWeek. Download WeedWeek’s free 2016 election guide here.

Boosted by support from younger voters, California is poised to legalize REC on Tuesday, creating the world’s largest cannabis market.
Manufacturers are  getting ready. So are tech start-ups. MED sales in the state climbed 132% between 2010 and 2015. Growers are bracing for a price crash.


Only 2,342 people have signed up for medical cannabis in New Jersey, far fewer than were initially expected. But the problem likely isn’t due to a lack of interest it’s due to a lack of access.
As we’ve reported in the last few months, the program has been criticized for how slowly it came online and with how tight rules and regulations have prevented medical marijuana dispensaries from opening up and increasing access to patients.

http://www.thc-ministry.org/
Roger Christie, Hawaii’s “Preacher of Pot”


64-year-old Hawaii resident Roger Christie has long been a well-known advocate for medical and recreational marijuana use on the Big Island. As a minister at his own church on Hilo – a quaint little joint by the name of THC Ministries – Christie enjoyed a rapidly growing congregation of over 60,000 followers, to many of whom he provided “sacrament” in the form of cannabis.
On July 8th 2010 though, it all came crashing down as a result of an extensive undercover investigation, leading to the arrest and indictment of 14 people associated with THC Ministries, along with Christie and his wife Share.

Greg Skidmore/Flickr.


New Jersey Governor Chris Christie doesn’t even want to try and have an honest discussion about cannabis anymore, even if his constituents demand it. Christie was on local New Jersey radio yesterday for his monthly “Ask the Governor” program when a caller asked Christie about the tax revenue and other benefits (like job creation) that comes with decriminalized cannabis and recreational sales.

TokeoftheTown.com


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie yesterday reiterated to a crowd of about 500 students and parents that recreational marijuana laws in his state aren’t changing under his watch. It sends the wrong message to kids, he says.
Apparently locking up their brothers, sisters and parents for up to six months for as little as a joint does send the right message in Christie’s world.

New Jersey state Sen. Nicholas Scutari.

New Jersey is wasting millions of dollars on the enforcement marijuana laws and blowing millions in tax revenue that could be generated if the plant was taxed and regulated. Because of that, New Jersey state Sen. Nicholas Scutari says that New Jersey should follow the lead of Colorado and legalize the use, sales and cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and up.
Of course, as long as Chris “Tollbooth” Christie is in office, actually getting the measure passed and signed into law is a very long shot.

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