{"id":8202,"date":"2018-04-13T22:52:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T22:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=3016502"},"modified":"2018-04-13T22:52:54","modified_gmt":"2018-04-13T22:52:54","slug":"trump-tells-gardner-hell-protect-legal-marijuana-politicians-cannabis-industry-react","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/trump-tells-gardner-hell-protect-legal-marijuana-politicians-cannabis-industry-react\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump tells Gardner he\u2019ll protect legal marijuana: Politicians, cannabis industry react"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/trump-tells-gardner-hell-protect-legal-marijuana-politicians-cannabis-industry-react\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"large-10 large-centered small-12 columns\">\n<p>Politicians and cannabis industry insiders, alike, were surprised Friday morning by Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner\u2019s announcement that he has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2018\/04\/13\/cory-gardner-trump-marijuana-protections\/103509\/\">struck a deal with President Donald J. Trump<\/a> that would protect states\u2019 marijuana laws from federal interference.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement that summarized much of the reaction, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/earl-blumenauer\/\">Rep. Earl Blumenauer<\/a> (D-OR), the co-founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, in a statement called the announcement \u201canother head spinning moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should hope for the best, but not take anything for granted. Trump changes his mind constantly, and Republican leadership is still in our way,\u201d he said. \u201cMomentum is clearly building in the states and here in DC. The tide is changing. Now is the time to redouble our efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He followed up with at tweet that asked, \u201ccan you feel the earth shifting for lasting marijuana reform??\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Trump&#8217;s announcement . . . Boehner, our longtime opponent, joining a cannabis company . . . movement on the ground\u2014MI, IL, MO . . . can you feel the earth shifting for lasting marijuana reform?? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cFz4jwAng8\">https:\/\/t.co\/cFz4jwAng8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/repblumenauer\/status\/984890493199843329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 13, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Colorado <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/jared-polis\/\">Rep. Jared Polis<\/a>, a co-founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus expressed cautions optimism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am cautiously optimistic that this announcement is a meaningful step forward for the states\u2019 rights and sensible marijuana policy,\u201d Polis said in a statement to The Cannabist. \u201cThis is the type of solution I have advocated for during my time in Congress, most notably with the McClintock-Polis amendment, which I have repeatedly offered to prevent the federal government from interfering with states that have legalized marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the ground in Colorado, a state that blazed the trail in marijuana legalization, Gov. John Hickenlooper called the Gardner-Trump conversation a \u201creasonable and promising development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Department of Justice will get far greater benefit per dollars spent by continuing to focus on major crimes such as heroin, meth and human trafficking,\u201d he said in a statement emailed to The Cannabist.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/mason-tvert\/\">Mason Tvert<\/a>, co-director of Colorado\u2019s Amendment 64 campaign and vice president of communications at VS Strategies, a Denver-based public affairs firm that specializes in the cannabis industry, expressed gratitude to Sen. Gardner for standing up for the state\u2019s residents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cColorado has taken great strides toward replacing the illegal marijuana market with a responsibly regulated system. It has been a long and difficult process, but we may now be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This is one more step toward ending the irrational policy of marijuana prohibition, not only in Colorado, but throughout the country,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/adam-eidinger\/\">Adam Eidinger<\/a>, the Washington, D.C. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2018\/04\/10\/marijuana-advocate-adam-eidinger-maryland-congressman-andy-harris\/103295\/\">and soon to be Maryland<\/a>) legalization advocate behind the city\u2019s Initiative 71, which legalized possession of up to two ounces of marijuana for residents and visitors, said the announcement ushered the movement into \u201ca whole new world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the president is desperate to recover in popularity and fulfilling campaign promise that cuts across party affiliation,\u201d he told The Cannabist.<\/p>\n<p>The moment, he hopes, will fire up the debate about what marijuana legalization should look like.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is good news for business,\u201d he said pointing out the surge in cannabis stock prices Friday, \u201cbut will it be good news for consumers, patients, and individuals who just want the right to use their own cannabis?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joe Hodas, COO, General Cannabis Corp, a Denver-based holding company for multiple marijuana subsidiaries, said his reaction to the day\u2019s developments wasn\u2019t dissimilar to how he reacted to news in January that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2018\/01\/04\/jeff-sessions-rescinding-legalized-marijuana-policy\/95875\/\">U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was rescinding the Cole Memo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe listen, watch, and continue to do what\u2019s right and compliant,\u201d he told The Cannabist.<\/p>\n<p>Andy Williams, Founder and President of Medicine Man Technologies, a publicly traded cannabis advisory and consulting firm, called out the work of conserviative-leaning politicians and advocacy groups.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYet again, we see Senator Cory Gardner stepping up for Colorado and making a big impact on cannabis industry,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cKudos to the New Federalism Fund on the work they did to educate Republicans like Gardner on marijuana issues. The next step from here should be making law out of Cole memo, so it\u2019s legislation instead of a referendum. I believe this also has potential to fix banking and 280e.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The appreciation for conservative efforts to move Trump was echoed by Don Murphy, director of conservative outreach for the Marijuana Policy Project, who said that Gardner has done a great service for his constituents by standing up for federalism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone who knew about President Trump\u2019s statements on this issue during the campaign were hoping he would uphold those values and support states\u2019 abilities to enact laws regulating marijuana for medical or adult use while in office,\u201d he said. \u201cThis news should make states more comfortable implementing their legalization programs. It should also serve as a rallying cry for lawmakers to pass comprehensive legislation that leaves marijuana policy to the states permanently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/08\/30\/smart-approaches-marijuana-sessions-laws\/87003\/\">Kevin Sabet, the leader of SAM<\/a>, a nonprofit group opposed to marijuana legalization, called the reported deal between the president and Gardner \u201cill-conceived and wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSAM stands with virtually all major medical and law enforcement associations in condemning the use and legalization of marijuana. The black market does not honor states\u2019 rights \u2013 it is thriving in Colorado and other legalized states,\u201d Sabet said in an email to The Cannabist. \u201cThis is creating harms in all states, in the form of increased stoned driving fatalities, the increased prevalence of pot candies, and more crime. Senator Gardner is simply protecting special interests at the expense of public health. SAM will redouble its efforts and amplify the voices of millions of Americans who do not want their children exposed to increased drug use. We hope the president \u2014 who doesn\u2019t want to be known as the \u2018Pot President\u2019 \u2013 will reverse course soon. This reckless plan will not go unanswered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#013; &#013; <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .row --> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Politicians and cannabis industry insiders, alike, were surprised Monday morning by Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner&#8217;s announcement that he has struck a deal with President Donald J. Trump that would protect states&#8217; marijuana laws from federal interference. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[52,6811,7163,376,6964,6813,77,5667,46,9,6855,5019,441,1,3,6963,7624,173,61,1736],"tags":[2632,6816,7165,2954,6967,6818,2655,5673,2629,6856,5022,3015,6966,7625,2751],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}