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DEA Says Itll Get Around To Approving Marijuana Cultivator Applications Eventually

Another year is coming to an end—and this was a big one for marijuana reform. Advocates scored a handful of legalization wins at the ballot box, an entire country did away with prohibition and politicians of all stripes became more vocal about the need to change the way we approach cannabis policy.

True to 2018 form, many lawmakers broadcast their views on the issue on Twitter. Here are some of the year’s best marijuana-related tweets from the people who are actually responsible for setting cannabis policy:

1. Remember when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo providing guidance on federal marijuana enforcement policy? While the move might have unnerved the legal industry, it also spurred significant pushback and vows to protect states from federal interference.

2. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) invited Fox News host Tucker Carlson to visit California to see Disneyland and try the state’s “awesome” cannabis.

3. Former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon (D) made cannabis reform a cornerstone of her platform—calling for full legalization in the Empire State. Could that explain why her opponent, incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), rapidly evolved on the issue, going so far as to endorse legalization this month?

4. “No one should go to jail for a joint,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote, promoting a bill that would grant states the autonomy to legalize without federal interference. The legislation, cosponsored by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), received the President Trump’s blessing as well.

5. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) got into a Twitter spat with prohibitionist Kevin Sabet, noting racial disparities in marijuana enforcement.

6. Of course, the unofficial cannabis holiday April 20 (4/20) saw a flood of weed tweets from the country’s leading lawmakers. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) delivered a “cannabis state of the union” address, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) used the opportunity to announce decriminalization legislation and Colorado Gov.-elect Jared Polis (D) toured marijuana dispensaries.

7. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) complained about the Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to allow the importation of cannabis products from a Canadian company at the same time the agency is delaying action on applications from more would-be domestic marijuana producers. “What happened to ‘buy American, hire American?’” he tweeted.

8. Big pharma is “pushing back” against efforts to legalize medical marijuana because “in many cases they want to continue to sell addictive drugs and dominate the market for drugs that address chronic pain,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) wrote.

9. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) touted the fact that he was the first Florida gubernatorial candidate to endorse legalizing marijuana during the 2018 primaries. “I did so because it is the right thing to do—I didn’t need a poll to tell me how to lead on such an important criminal justice issue,” he said.

10. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted that decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level is a top 10 reason to get out and vote.

11. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) challenged his Democratic colleagues to join him in support of a bill that would legalize firearm ownership for people who use marijuana in compliance with state law. The congressman expanded on the legislation, which he plans to introduce in the next Congress, in an interview with Marijuana Moment.

12. “When a white student in a suburban school is caught with marijuana, they will usually get a warning,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted. “If you’re a black or brown student in an urban environment, law enforcement is called and your future could be destroyed for use. Marijuana legalization is a racial justice issue.”

13. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) ended his longstanding opposition to marijuana legalization, calling the existing federal cannabis policy “badly broken” and “failing to benefit those the drug may help and protect those the drug may harm.”

14. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) celebrated the inclusion of his hemp legalization provision in the final version of the 2018 Farm Bill by signing the official conference report with his very own hemp pen. President subsequently signed the bill into law.

15. The passage of a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill earlier this month was a good first step, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said. But the next step for Congress should be to federally decriminalize marijuana.

Hemp Will Be A Top 10 Product In 2019, Whole Foods Predicts

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Original Article Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dea-says-itll-get-around-to-approving-marijuana-cultivator-applications-eventually/

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