Are The Republicans Waking Up?

Trump Announces Unprecedented Support for Legalizing Marijuana.

On the first great-weather day of Spring 2018, President Donald Trump has committed to withdrawing federal objections to the legalization of marijuana, reports Tom Angell of Marijuana Moment.

So what does Tom have to say?

President Trump is preparing to support far-reaching legislation to reform federal marijuana prohibition so that states can enact their own cannabis laws without interference.

“Since the campaign, President Trump has consistently supported states’ rights to decide for themselves how best to approach marijuana,” U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) said in a statement. “Late Wednesday, I received a commitment from the President that the Department of Justice’s rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorado’s legal marijuana industry. Furthermore, President Trump has assured me that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all.”

In a briefing with reporters on Friday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the development, calling Gardner’s statement “accurate.”

If this holds it is very good news.

So how did Gardner get Trump to cave? Here is what Gardner had to say.

Because of these commitments, I have informed the Administration that I will be lifting my remaining holds on Department of Justice nominees. My colleagues and I are continuing to work diligently on a bipartisan legislative solution that can pass Congress and head to the President’s desk to deliver on his campaign position.

Power talks. And for a change it says something reasonable.

Let me add that this hasn’t come up for a direct vote since Trump got elected (and before during Obama’s term) because it will be some Republicans and a LOT of Democrats voting in favor. An embarrassment to the Republican Party. Just as the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment was with 49 Republicans and 170 Democrats in favor.

I think the fact that 61% of the electorate (and rising) favors an end to cannabis prohibition might have entered in to the calculation. And yes. That poll is a bit of an outlier. But this poll shows 59%. Not that big a difference. If you assume the usual sampling error range of about 4% the actual number might be as low as 55% or as high as 65%. Obviously between the two polls the most likely number is 60%. Even if only 10% of them are single issue voters – it is enough to swing elections. And why wouln’t the people the war is directed against be single issue voters? Generally.