Asked whether cannabis would be federally legalized, President Trump said, “A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.”
The President was asked about legalization in light of recent studies showing that states with legal marijuana systems experience fewer opioid overdoses.
“We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision,” Trump said.
Reacting to the President’s comments, NORML’s Political Director Justin Strekal said, “The reiteration of a non-enforcement policy from the president is a clear sign that states should continue to defy the federal government when it comes to marijuana prohibition.”
During his Presidential campaign, Trump similarly said that he believed issues surrounding cannabis legalization ought to be decided “state by state.” The administration’s first Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, rescinded an Obama-administration memorandum which directed the Justice Department not to interfere in state-sanctioned marijuana-related activities, but recent arrests in California suggest Attorney General Barr may have quietly reinstituted the Cole memo guidance.
