My Prediction: Marijuana!

I predict that the Trump administration will push for enforcing the national laws on marijuana!

Trump’s New Attorney General Pick Opposed Legalizing Medical Marijuana In Florida

Marijuana Moment

By Ben Adlin

November 22, 2024

Only hours after embattled former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump announced that former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) would be his new pick for the nation’s top law enforcement role.

Compared to Gaetz, who has widely known pro-legalization stance on marijuana—and had even vowed to “go easy” on the cannabis industry if he got the job—Bondi’s record on the issue is far less pro-reform.

As Florida’s AG, for example, Bondi opposed efforts to legalize medical marijuana.

[...]

In 2018, for example, Bondi as attorney general filed an appeals brief in state court defending the legislature’s ban on smoking medical marijuana, with her office citing “harms to patients and those exposed to secondhand smoke” as “ample reasons to exclude smoking from the statutory definition of ‘medical use.'”

I foresee a clampdown on states rights to allow medical and recreational use of pot at the very least that it will remain a cash business. MJ Biz Daily reports that,

With six weeks left in 2024, Washington, D.C.-based cannabis lobbyists and federal marijuana reform advocates already have entered “wait until next year” mode.

Despite friendly signals from President-elect Donald Trump and unfinished business from an exiting Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, there is little hope for long-anticipated bills such as cannabis banking reform to advance in the lame-duck session, according to marijuana lobbyists, advocates and industry players.

“Our position for most of this year is to not expect anything of the lame-duck” session, said Morgan Paxhia, a principal of cannabis hedge fund Poseidon Asset Management in San Francisco.

Before Election Day, there was some hope – and perhaps a chance – for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called the SAFER Banking Act for a committee hearing in September 2023, to enact the bill by attaching it to other must-pass legislation.

However, sweeping Election Day success by Republicans means congressional Democrats have other priorities between now and Jan. 3, 2025, the last day of the current Congress.

As usual Trump sends mixed signals...

What Can We Expect From Trump On Cannabis Reform?

Forbes

By Dario Sabaghi

November 18, 2024

Donald J. Trump’s victory in November’s Presidential election coincides with a pivotal moment for the U.S. cannabis reform, as efforts to reschedule the substance could significantly reshape the future of the industry, with him potentially having a say.

During his campaign, Trump expressed support for rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would acknowledge its medical value and ease the business tax burden. He also supported providing banking access to the cannabis industry and backed a Florida ballot measure to legalize recreational use, though it ultimately failed.

But given Trump’s controversial cannabis policy records during his first term, it is difficult to predict whether he will continue to support these initiatives. Therefore, understanding how Trump might influence cannabis reform in his second term is crucial for anticipating the future of the industry in the United States.

Forbes goes on to write...

However, what concerns Jeffrey Miron, senior lecturer at Harvard and director of economic studies at the Cato Institute, is not so much the economic impact of Trump’s administration on the cannabis industry but the conservatives’ proposals to potentially use the military for border enforcement and against Mexican cartels, marking a significant escalation in drug and immigration policy.

Did Trump just say what he thought the voters wanted to hear?