Marijuana industry voices concerns over Trump Administration’s actions toward recreational use

White House press secretary Sean Spicer sent shockwaves through the marijuana industry on Feb. 23 when he said he could see the Trump Administration enforcing federal marijuana laws over state laws, especially when they conflict in states that have legalized the drug for recreational use.

The comments were especially concerning to marijuana professionals in the state of Massachusetts, after the state recently legalized the drug for recreational use. According to an article in the Boston Globe, the state cannabis industry could be worth as much as $1.1 billion by 2020, if left uninterrupted. With this in mind, a variety of industry professionals and experts from Boston viewed major setbacks in the industry if the current administration follows up on their rhetoric to have the federal government crackdown on recreational marijuana.

Cara Crabb-Burnham, dean of faculty at the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis, said she predicts the marijuana industry will boom in the state, as investors and entrepreneur have “already committed millions of dollars” to the industry.

“Massachusetts, and Boston specifically, will be the hub of marijuana on the East Coast without a doubt,” Crabb-Burnham said.

Crabb-Burnham’s optimism, however, doesn’t exactly match recent statistics that show a lack of confidence in the industry.

For example, the Bloomberg Intelligence Global Cannabis Index dropped 9.8 percent when the markets closed on March 2, a week following Spicer’s press conference.

Further concerns were raised when U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions took an anti-marijuana approach in his confirmation hearing, suggesting a crackdown on both medical and recreational marijuana.

“It would be devastating … it would make anybody distributing marijuana a criminal,” said Seth Blumenthal, a professor in Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Blumenthal teaches a course called “Marijuana in American History.”

Blumenthal’s concerns were primarily caused by comments made in Spicer’s press conference in which he connected the legalization movement to the growing opioid epidemic, which Blumenthal claimed is “not accurate.”

“When I hear that rationale for the war on drugs being slowly slipped in, I know historically what that trends toward policy-wise,” said Blumenthal.

While comments such as Spicer’s have caused panic, no official legislation or plan of action has been adopted by the new administration, leaving some professionals unconcerned.

“Maybe it’s reflective of what the administration wants, but maybe it’s just [Spicer’s] opinion,” said Robert Calkin, founder of the Cannabis Career Institute, a California-based school designed to help people get into the cannabis industry. “I don’t think it will hinder people from moving forward with their businesses.”

The marijuana business is proving to be a lucrative one in states that have legalized cannabis for several years. According to an article in Denver-based The Cannabist, sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado were over $996 million in 2015.

There are economic opportunities in the cannabis industry aside from the direct sale of the drug, Calkin explained. Proponents of legalization say jobs will also be available in marketing, transportation, production and cultivation sectors of the industry, he said. On top of this, there is the economic boost provided by increased tourism to states in which marijuana is legalized recreationally.

Despite fears of setbacks, there is confidence among business professionals in the industry that the momentum propelling marijuana forward is too great for the federal government to stop.

As Calkin puts it, “trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle won’t work.”

For now, the marijuana industry holds its breath as more developments come from the Trump Administration on its stance toward marijuana. There is hope that whatever actions are taken, the legalization movement will continue to build steam and preach the benefits of recreational marijuana, Crabb-Burnham said.

“I think [legalization] will be good for the economy, for minimizing issues between law enforcement,” said Crabb-Burnham of legalization. “In the end, I think it will be better for everyone.”