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Why No One Should Assume Trump Is Pro-Marijuana

Why No One Should Assume Trump Is Pro-Marijuana

Politics

Why No One Should Assume Trump Is Pro-Marijuana

Many in the marijuana world are freaking out about Jeff Sessions’ anti-marijuana comments. But, unfortunately, no one should assume Trump is pro-marijuana

Weedhorn published a troubling piece called “Why The Cannabis Industry Will Keep Growing Under Trump“. The author lays out several arguments which attempt to allay fears by the weed investment community since Trump took office. Namely, many in the marijuana world are freaking out about Jeff Sessions’ anti-marijuana comments from a month ago. But, unfortunately, no one should assume Trump is pro-marijuana

Unfortunately, the author Jeff Beverly is, as his byline states, “president of Grow Solutions Holdings Inc., a firm that invests in cannabis-related verticals, including cannabis-garden suppliers and a cannabis job-placement website.”

So, that’s the first problem with this article. It’s written by an author with a glaring conflict of interest. Namely, his employ is predicated on the fact that he needs people to keep investing in cannabis-related businesses. This piece should have been designated an advertorial.

An advertorial is when a publication runs an advertisement which appears as non-advertisement content. It’s bad form when publications run advertorials but don’t make it clear they have been paid to run another company’s propaganda.

Off the bat, this article is suspect just based on who wrote it. But it goes deeper than that. To save you the time, the author hangs his argument that “don’t worry; weed is fine” on the fact that it is Jeff Session’s responsibility to please Donald Trump.

Beverly opines, “regardless of the personal opinions of the head of the Justice Department, the Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the president, and Trump supports medical cannabis. Trump told Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor in February, ‘Medical marijuana, medical? I’m in favor of it a hundred percent.'”

So Beverly offers the theory that because Trump told Bill O’Reilly “I’m in favor of it a hundred percent” means everyone should assume he’s been genuine. Not so fast.

The New Motto Moving Forward Should Be “ASSUME NOTHING” About Trump And Marijuana

Why No One Should Assume Trump Is Pro-Marijuana

What does anyone know about Donald Trump, really? He’s contradicted himself so many times over the years (remember when he was a Hillary supporter?) that the experts can’t even keep track of all the incongruities. Why should his stance on marijuana be any different than any other outrageous thing he says to glean attention from the press?

Sure, he said he is in favor of medical marijuana. But does he mean it? Also, what does Steve Bannon think about medical marijuana? Many pundits have believed all along that Bannon is Trump’s Dick Cheney and the true ideological mastermind pulling the strings.

No one knows, for example, if Trump will get into an embroiled conflict with, say, California over its sanctuary cities. He has already threatened cutting federal funding to California. Why wouldn’t he threaten to send in the DEA/DoJ to shutter all the recreational dispensaries in California? This happened under Obama as well, mind you.

Never underestimate the ability of a power monger to use things people overwhelmingly approve of (like medical marijuana) as collateral in bigger disputes.

The old cliche “time will tell” is the only thing to bank on. Widespread decriminalization is inevitable, but it might take decades to get there. It’s borderline irresponsible to tell investors to keep investing millions of dollars when the future is so rocky.

If anyone honestly believes something Donald Trump said glibly to Bill O’Reilly on a TV show as bona fide fact, then by all means invest away. What’s the worst that could happen?

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