The bill passed by Congress prohibits federal interference in some states where marijuana is legalized. These are states, where, the federal government cannot have people prosecuted for the possession of marijuana, hence the federal interference here is prohibited. This is the reform of the Congress that Trump said he could disregard.
The US president, Donald Trump has always keen on legalizing drugs. The federal budget of 2021, proposed by President Trump, aims to end the protection for state-legal medical marijuana programs. Cannabis, although, remains illegal under federal law. This proposal in essence, leaves the state-legal medical marijuana patients and businessmen vulnerable to prosecution, limiting the power of the Department of Justice to use the federal funds and going after medical marijuana programs on states who support these programs and legalize them.
By going after the medical marijuana issue, Trump seems to be making it clear that his administration believes that it can enforce federal drug laws against people complying with state medical marijuana laws against Congress’s explicit instructions to do otherwise. Although the administration has not actually carried out any major enforcement activities against the medical marijuana programs, this is the third time that President Trump has, in the signing statement, said that his administration doesn’t necessarily require to adhere to the medical marijuana provisions.
At the same time, the number of voters, supporting the legalization of medical marijuana has seen a surge. According to a pew survey, 9 out of 10 people supported the legalizing of medical marijuana. On September 11, a national poll showed that Biden may actually be able to beat president Trump at the elections. It also showed how the public isn’t exactly happy with the Trump administration. Further, President Trump’s position on the legalization of marijuana will be contingent on the candidate against him. In addition to this, marijuana being popular among the youth, may win President Trump the votes he needs by the legalization of marijuana, by gaining the confidence of young voters. Trump beat Hillary Clinton because of her unpopularity. Since Joe Biden, supports merely decriminalization, Trump might support the legalization of medical marijuana and earn the votes because 33 states and Washington DC have already legalized medical cannabis.
Conclusion
President Trump is known to turn things to his favor at the last moment, hence it is difficult to predict whether he will use medical marijuana legalization as leverage and once again turn things around.
