Ok, let’s rip the band aide off this quick. Donald Trump is
going to be our next President. Gulp. That was a painful sentence to write.
Fortunately Massachusetts residents will be able to self-medicate with cannabis
and we can keep ourselves in a happy haze until the next election season
starts.
I have never experienced an election year where words like “apocalypse”
was used to describe what the aftermath of both candidates election to the presidency
would look like for our country.
So how bad could a President Donald Trump be for the
cannabis industry?
Here is a short history reminder: February 2003 Attorney
General John Ashcroft (under the George W. Bush presidency) implemented
Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter which targeted the drug paraphernalia
businesses across the country. This was
the last time the Republicans controlled the White House, Senate and House of
Representatives.
Since I can’t trust or believe a single word Trump says
about his stance on cannabis (or any other issue) and the current movement
toward legalization, I will look closer at the people Trump has surrounded
himself with and those the media believe are highly considered candidates for
senior appointments in the Trump White House.
Vice President elect Mike Pence from Indiana believes marijuana
is a gateway drug and has refused to sign any legislation in his home state
that eased that states drug laws. There are no medical marijuana laws in
Indiana despite a 73% approval for support of a medical marijuana program.
As mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani oversaw major
crackdowns on illegal drug use, especially marijuana. He has indicated he would
continue to arrest, prosecute and imprison medical marijuana patients.
Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie did sign into law
medical marijuana use in his state in September 2016, but he is 100% against
recreational marijuana. In July of 2015 while still running for President,
Christie warned: “If you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it. As of
January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws.”
Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Newton
“Newt” Gingrich introduced the “Drug Importer Death Penalty Act of 1996.” The bill would have required a “sentence of
death for certain importations of significant quantities of controlled
substances.” It would have applied to anyone convicted more than once of
carrying 100 doses — or about two ounces — or marijuana across the border.
Defendants would have had a window of 18 months to file their one and only
appeal.
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama gets a grade of “F” from
the NORML Congressional Scorecard. He is quoted in 2016 saying: “It is false
that marijuana use doesn't lead people to more drug use. It is already causing
a disturbance in the States that have made it legal.”
So there you have it. Just a few of the prohibitionist Trump
may have in his ear telling him to stop the cannabis legalization movement. If
I don’t have your attention yet let me lay this one out for you. By far the
worst part of a Republican controlled government is the selection of a Supreme
Court Justice.
Once again the Supreme Court will have a conservative majority.
The legalization of cannabis across the Unites States has
taken huge steps forward in the 2016 election, but we have no time to celebrate
our victories. HOW the laws are written
to implement Massachusetts ballot question 4 are crucial to its success. WE the
people must become vicious watchdogs over every single person who is involved
in this process.
EVERYONE must watch over their local town governments who
are now scrambling to implement new zoning regulations to keep pot shops out of
their towns. Small local boards have the power to change local zoning
regulations without a town-wide vote.
As a new small business owner in the cannabis industry there
is a great deal of excitement over the potential prosperity in our near future.
However, we must not rest on our recent success.
Congratulations to all who voted Yes on 4, changing history and America for the better.
