Pot plans moving forward despite tough talk from Trump
Budding plans to open recreational marijuana businesses in the Bay State will move forward despite delays from state lawmakers and a recent pot crackdown promise from President Trump’s administration, marijuana advocates say.
“Companies are still pushing forward and getting ready for the application process,” said Jim Borghesani, who was behind the victorious ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. “The hope is that Donald Trump is going to allow states to decide these issues independently and the federal government won’t intervene.”
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said last week that the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are likely to uphold federal restrictions even as states like Massachusetts have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Federal laws currently prohibit marijuana possession and distribution.
“I do believe you’ll see a greater enforcement of it,” Spicer told reporters last week, adding that federal officials won’t target medical marijuana businesses.
“There’s two distinct issues here: medical marijuana and recreational marijuana,” Spicer said. “I think when you see something like the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people.”
But Isaac Dietrich, CEO of the cannabis social media platform MassRoots, still has hope for recreational sales.
“If the federal government were to enforce the law in Massachusetts it would cost the state tens of millions in tax dollars and would hurt job growth,” Dietrich said, adding that Spicer’s statement has had a chilling effect on recreational cannabis funding and investment across the nation.
“We ultimately think that while the Trump administration will talk tough, they’re not going to try and reverse course in states that are already seeing the benefits of legal marijuana,” he said.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg is preparing to put out a request for proposals for the comprehensive seed to sale computer tracking system required for recreational purchases. All marijuana sold under the new law must be grown in Massachusetts, and companies must show proof of where the product was grown.
“We are currently qualifying vendors and then we’ll issue the RFP for services,” Goldberg spokeswoman Chandra Allard said.
Lawmakers are expected to pass updated legislation pertaining to recreational marijuana licensing and sales by June.