Some cannabis activists and smokers are wondering if President Trump is going to recall recreational marijuana. It’s true that if this worst case scenario were to happen, many states and perhaps the nation would immediately spiral into recession. Recreational sales alone were over seven billion in 2016 and are rising fast. Their taxes pay for schools, roads and social services with money that once funneled straight into the black market.
So a little hysteria would be warranted, but what are the real odds that the President will overturn all those majority votes and revenues? Let’s break it down. First, cannabis users and activists have a solidly united front that likes to take action, stereotypes be damned! Second, states like Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado aren’t going to give up their new found revenue without a fight. And thirdly, the people have spoken, again and again and again. All three of these reasons add up to a little relief.
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With over half of the United States having legalized cannabis in one form or another, not to mention the all mighty hemp, this once cottage industry is about to reach into the billions in taxes alone. It’s irreplaceable and has also created a large workforce that would also be devastated if taken away. Not to mention that, like revenues, legitimate jobs in the industry are increasing rapidly as time goes by.
With over a billion dollars in tax revenue annually, a good portion of Colorado’s pot income goes to scholarships for free community college. These are life changing properties of the plant that can be easily quantified. Lives are being improved. Jobs are being created. Tax revenue is going to good use. People are reaching further toward self improvement.
So is it enough? Do these facts stand out to POTUS?
It’s nearly impossible to tell at this point. As we all know, the hiring of Attorney General Jeff Sessions wasn’t a great sign, but President Trump is and always will be a businessman first. Agriculture in the U.S. has been floundering. Cannabis and hemp have the power to breathe new life into our rich history of ag. From craft to industrial growers, not only are the crops profitable, they also enrich the soil so that the crops need not be rotated, thus perpetual grows.
What really needs to happen is to have the Schedule 1 rating of cannabis removed from the federal docket so that real legalization, without hitch or worry, can take place. At this point there’s no reason to not, accept abject stubbornness or willful ignorance. Of course there are people with their hearts in the right place who do not agree with marijuana usage, however, again, the majority has spoken and the benefits have been made clear. From anti-seizure properties to cancer battling components and uncountable remedies, cannabis heals and comforts. Hemp’s usages also range greatly and replace everything from cotton to fossil fuels.
Perhaps the biggest reason POTUS won’t be able to overturn over half the nation’s laws that were voted in fair and square is the amount of time, research and effort that went into them. The cannabis community has a knack for checks and balances, best stepping stones and well organized grassroots programs. It is a community that stands up for what it believes in and as marijuana is further popularized in mainstream media, it is a growing community. One that will not be shaken easily. So let’s everyone take a deep inhale, exhale, repeat.
