Trump Administration Puts Recreational Marijuana in Crosshairs
States where recreational marijuana is legal will be subject to “greater enforcement” under the Trump administration, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Thursday.
But watchers of Colorado’s billion-dollar weed industry are waiting to see whether Spicer’s statements during his daily briefing actually yield a real shift in enforcement policy.
“There’s a big difference between (medical marijuana) and recreational marijuana, and I think when you see something like the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people,” Spicer said, giving the first glimpse of the new administration’s views of the growing legal cannabis industry. “There is still a federal law that we need to abide by in terms of recreational marijuana and other drugs of that nature.”
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, although voters in Colorado and seven other states and Washington, D.C., approved measures to legalize recreational pot sales and consumption. Medical marijuana is legal in 28 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the District of Columbia.
When asked about increased enforcement around recreational pot, Spicer said: “That’s a question for the Department of Justice. I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement of it.”
More: Trump administration puts recreational marijuana in crosshairs | The Cannabist
As a resident of Colorado who is a known cannabis user I’m pretty outraged by this.
2/3 We’re talking about a *billion dollar industry* that has reaped *millions of dollars* in taxes for schools in Colorado. And with …
— Charlie Vogel (@teleskiguy) February 23, 2017
3/3 the advent of legal cannabis, drug use among youth has actually *declined* in Colorado.
— Charlie Vogel (@teleskiguy) February 23, 2017
If DEA raids are coming to weed stores in Colorado I will chain myself to the door of my local store until they arrest me. cc: @slpioneer
— Charlie Vogel (@teleskiguy) February 23, 2017
Here’s Donald Trump on Fox & Friends contradicting what Sean Spicer said today at the White House.
I’m sure Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III will persuade Trump that even medical cannabis is a horrible blight on our society.
I thought I would add this tweet of mine from 18 November 2016, because unfortunately I may be right.
With an Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III legal cannabis is most likely off the table nationwide. DEA raids are coming.
— Charlie Vogel (@teleskiguy) November 18, 2016