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Marijuana Sellers Face Uncertainty Under Trump
Posted by CN Staff on March 08, 2017 at 05:45:28 PT
By Tim Devaney
Source: Hill
Washington, D.C. -- The Trump administration is creating uncertainty for the nascent marijuana industry. It’s unclear just how strictly Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to enforce the federal prohibition on marijuana, raising questions for the dozens of states that have legalized the drug in some capacity.“There is no telling how the Trump administration will handle the legalities of cannabis,” said Ethan Andersen, spokesman for NisonCo, a public relations firm that works with cannabis companies. “While there’s no guarantee they will crack down, there’s certainly no guarantee they won’t.”
The federal government still considers marijuana an illegal substance, but 28 states have defied the ban by legalizing medical marijuana within their borders. Eight of those states now allow adults to use pot recreationally, creating an increase in dispensaries.Sessions has made clear that he is not a fan of legalized marijuana. During a hearing last April, when he was still a Republican senator from Alabama, he declared: “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.”And since becoming attorney general, Sessions has said that legal marijuana is fueling a rise in violent crime.“There is more violence around marijuana than one would think,’’ Sessions said.The movement to legalize marijuana has made big gains around the country in recent years, at a time when the Obama administration mostly took a hands-off approach.In 2016, state ballot initiatives legalizing recreational marijuana passed in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — all states that President Trump lost to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.“Marijuana is more popular than the president,” joked Bill Piper, senior director of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance. “The toothpaste is already out of the tube, and it will be really hard for the Trump administration to stop legalization,” Piper said. “They can arrest people, but for every dispensary they shut down, another 10 will open up.“They can’t possibly win that fight over the long term.”On the campaign trail, Trump voiced support for medical marijuana, though not for legalizing the drug for general use.White House press secretary Sean Spicer last month told reporters there could be “greater enforcement” against dispensaries and growers that sell recreational marijuana.“I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement,” Spicer said during a press briefing in late February. “There’s a big difference between the medical use … [and] recreational use, which is something the Department of Justice will be further looking into.”That remark could spell trouble for recreational marijuana businesses.“The Trump administration made it clear they don’t look on it as favorably as President Obama did, and even he didn’t look on it that favorably,” Andersen said.But Sessions has sought to ease some of those concerns in private meetings with Republican senators, according to reports, which have only added to the confusion surrounding Trump’s pot policy.“There’s a lot of uncertainty, and we’re not sure when it will be resolved,” said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.“There’s no question we are in a less stable environment with Trump than we might have expected in a Clinton administration,” West said.Some pot companies are taking steps to protect themselves.Marijuana growers and dispensaries that “touch the plant” have the most to be concerned about, industry officials say. To insulate themselves from a potential government crackdown, a number of other companies provide services to the marijuana industry but do not get directly involved in growing or selling the drug.“There’s no reason why they would ever come after us,” said Greg Lambrecht, CEO of the Phoenix-based SinglePoint, which helps marijuana dispensaries record their sales.“We provide all of the products these dispensaries need to do business, but we don’t touch the plant,” Lambrecht said. “So if, for some reason, Trump wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, we’re not affected.”The same is true for CFN Media, which helps marijuana companies promote their brands and drives sales to their websites.“We don’t touch the plant; we don’t sell the product. We’re just media,” said Frank Lane, CEO of the CFN Media Group.The worst-case scenario for these companies is that the Trump administration runs the recreational marijuana industry out of business — but even that would have a minimal impact on firms like SinglePoint and CFN Media that do much of their business with medical marijuana companies.“It’s not a big deal to us, because there are still plenty of medical marijuana companies that need our services,” Lambrecht said.Source: Hill, The (US DC)Author: Tim DevaneyPublished: March 8, 2017Copyright: 2017 The HillContact: editor thehill.comWebsite: http://www.hillnews.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/q8yJ0NccCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on March 12, 2017 at 14:20:34 PT
John Tyler,
And as You know:Cannabis prohibitionists make your burden heavy, increases your pain, and brings stress to your heart. -0-It's time to prohibit cannabis prohibitionists. I'd vote for a president who promises to deport them.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on March 12, 2017 at 08:29:49 PT
can't stop an idea whose time has come
I have been keeping up with cannabis prohibition since Nixon was president. Nothing any of the prohibitionists have said or done in the past has made any difference. We have seen more competent people than the current crew try and fail to stop cannabis legalization. Cannabis will prevail. Karma is on its side. History is on its side. Now, there is a cannabis industry with big money to present its case. Cannabis is good. It has so many wonderful uses. People love it. Only the dismally uninformed are against it. News flash: NBC news had a story about people getting cannabis capsules at an old folk’s home. Guess what? It was wonderful. They didn’t need as much pain meds as they had before, and it lifted their spirits. What do they say?…Cannabis lighten your burden, eases your pain, and brings joy to your heart. 
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Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on March 09, 2017 at 22:09:15 PT
Theres no reason why they would ever come after us
I guess this guy has never heard of the conspiracy laws? "we never touch the plant" believe me that's never stopped the government before.  People are sent to jail just for answering a phone call. in for a penny, in for a pound I say....man up! be brave. Declare that the laws are morally wrong and you must defy them. 
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Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on March 09, 2017 at 22:05:41 PT
It's High Time: Weed at Harvard
good article. What's with this "federal funding" excuse these colleges all use? It's basically admitting that you've been conquered by the federal government.  They say funding, they should say "we must all serve the Emperor in Washington"It's High Time: Weed at Harvardhttps://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/3/8/weed-at-harvard/
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Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on March 09, 2017 at 17:45:46 PT
blah blah blah
more fearmongering.....wake me up when it's over
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Comment #5 posted by SoupHerb on March 09, 2017 at 04:43:00 PT:
GCW
Thank You. Your comments are refreshing to read and your courage and wisdom to carry on and help end stupidity in the world should be rewarded. 
Sadly the candor you reveal falls on deaf ears as well as the rest of our desires to end senseless prohibitions or more importantly the "War on Cannabis"...
"How many Psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
Just one. But the light bulb has to be willing to change?
God Bless
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on March 09, 2017 at 04:12:23 PT
Cannabis will continue to be sold either way.
Marijuana Sellers Face Uncertainty Under Trump???-0-The uncertainty of selling in the black market or the legalized regulated market. BUT the plant is going to be sold either way. That's the way it's been all My life.The only thing the goons can do is force the black market to regulate the plant because if they sit back and do nothing, the plant is going LEGAL.WHY would any idiot force the black market to regulate the plant? Because they are not wise and don't get it. Like an IDIOT.
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Comment #3 posted by SoupHerb on March 09, 2017 at 02:50:22 PT:
Sessions has no clue
That Cannabis is a plant not a drug.
Use of the plant is "personal" not "recreational".
Violent crime comes from people not having JOBS not people using cannabis.
This list goes on and on yet the incredibly brain dead population of Obstructionists are yet again oblivious to the truths of their greed and corruption(s)...
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Comment #2 posted by HempWorld on March 08, 2017 at 18:57:47 PT
Ya!
Round and round we go...
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Comment #1 posted by Vincent on March 08, 2017 at 18:54:42 PT:
reasons
When I read stuff like this, I remember the reasons why I despise Republicans. They always wanna stick their noses into our business, but they whine when we wanna stick OUR noses into their business!!! The very definition of hypocrisy.
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