Pot Criminalization: Up in Smoke?

[HairOfTheDog]

As it stands now, aggressive federal intervention keeps the marijuana industry from growing at its natural rate and inhibits the industry's ability to operate as a fully legitimate business. For example, even though the financial potential for the industry is very good, banks don't want to provide financing for fear of being prosecuted by the Fed. Also, marijuana professionals in legalized states have to pay all their taxes in cash.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has always been consistent in his opposition to legalized marijuana. Sessions lifted the second-term Obama administration policy which respected states' sovereignty by discouraging federal prosecutors from pursuing cases in states that have legalized the drug.

So far, Trump has been inconsistent when it comes to marijuana. While campaigning for president, he pledged to respect states that legalized marijuana, but he also has criticized legalization and implied it should be stopped. President Trump indicated yesterday that he's inclined to support the new bi-partisan legislation; I hope he's sincere and change is on the horizon.