Transition in the Attorney General’s Office and Cannabis

November 12, 2018

Jeff Sessions was once considered a key companion of President Trump. But we all know how political affiliations and friendships can go sour over any issue. Sourness seeped in between the camaraderie of Sessions and Trump after the former’s recusal from the Mueller investigation. Since then, things haven’t been the same between the two anymore.

Trump started bashing Sessions openly and didn’t let go of any opportunity to show his discontent to his attorney general. After seeing these continuous outbursts of the president against Sessions, many political pundits predicted the departure of the attorney general. And as the hubbub of midterm elections settled down, Trump asked Sessions to resign.

Trump nominated Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, as the interim attorney general. The nomination, though provisional in nature, has caught many by surprise. People were not expecting a former Sessions staff member to assume the helm of the Department of Justice.

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Jeff Sessions made a name for himself as an adamant cannabis antagonist. So, naturally, the cannabis industry is keen to know the views of the new incumbent attorney general on the issue. To begin with, Whitaker is no Jeff Sessions. In fact, no one can be Jeff Sessions when it comes to opposing all things.

For now, not much is known about Whitaker’s stance on the matter. Nevertheless, digging in the past political debates and statements, gives us an idea about the approach of the new attorney general with respect to cannabis.

For instance, Whitaker supported the legalization of CBD in Iowa during the primary GOP debate for Senate nominations in 2014. However, during the same debate, he also opposed the strategy of the then attorney general to not get in the way of state laws with respect to marijuana legalization. It is important to mention here that the Obama administration put Cole memo into effect to not interfere in the jurisdictional issues of states. Whitaker was also against the Cole memo, but this opposition must be assessed in the context of political point scoring, which is an essential part of debates preceding any election.

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And even if Whitaker has anti-cannabis views, one can’t compare him with Sessions for his marijuana animosity. The former attorney general has a good long track record of making ridiculous statements to exhibit his detestation for cannabis. Sessions had the habit of ridiculing and insulting MMJ patients. He didn’t pay any heed to the credible ongoing research on the therapeutic effects of cannabis. In his relentless disgust for cannabis, Sessions even revealed his passive support for Ku Klux Klan.

Cannabis experts are seeing the transition in the office of attorney general as a positive development. And not just for the local cannabis industries, but for the overall progress of nationwide marijuana reforms. The impact of Sessions’ departure became evident just hours after his resignation, with the soaring stock price of cannabis companies.

Secondly, the appointment of Whitaker is temporary. So, even if he possesses any anti-cannabis agenda, there are strong chances that he won’t get enough time to execute it. For now, the cannabis industry can breathe a bit easier.

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