All in!
Speaking at the American Cannabis Summit -- the first nationwide event of its kind -- on behalf of the National Institute for Cannabis Investors, former Speaker of the House, Republican (and Ohio native) John Boehner, came out in favor of marijuana. “I’m all in,” Boehner said in the launch webcast as he urged investors to buy in on the cannabis industry. “This is the time to go all in on cannabis.”
For anyone who has been following politics for the past decade or so, you are probably aware of John Boehner's previous "unalterable" anti-pot stance. As the Speaker of the House, he killed marijuana bills that came to the floor for a vote, and derided the expansion of medical marijuana programs.
So how did such a staunchly anti-pot lawmaker suddenly pull a 180 on the issue? Simple, he educated himself and listened to testimonials from medical marijuana patients, notably veterans. After listening to a former Navy SEAL tell his story of how medical marijuana helped give him relief from his terrible migraines, Boehner realized the error in his ways.
“He started using cannabis and the migraines disappeared,” Boehner said. “That’s when I realized I was wrong.”
Boehner is now a sitting member on the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a major marijuana company. You can view the full video of his discussion here:
Will the Republican Party become pro-pot?
We are in uncharted waters, folks. For many years, the Republican establishment has been decidedly anti-pot. But as Pew Research and Gallup polls are showing, more than 60% of Americans favor legal weed. As such, the tide may well be turning in favor of marijuana reform and legalization.
So will this change of heart from Boehner affect Republicans in the near future? To quote Sarah Palin, "You betcha!"
The numbers don't lie. As more people are educated on the benefits of marijuana, and more medical marijuana patients share their stories with those who may be anti-reefer, the more open the general public is to the idea of legal weed. As such, lawmakers using harsh anti-pot rhetoric may soon find themselves searching for a new job.
The Trump Administration and Cannabis
While lawmakers scramble to find footing on the cannabis issue, marijuana reform may have to begin at the very top, with President Trump. Though the Trump administration has been sketchy on the subject of cannabis, they may soon find it a winning political issue, especially as the election season begins to heat up.
Thankfully, it seems Boehner feels he may have ally in Trump, despite Trump's appointed Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, being vehemently anti-marijuana. “While I don’t want to give away too much of my conversations with President Trump or I won’t be having those conversations anymore,” Boehner said, “But President Trump said, ‘I agree with Boehner, he’s right.’”
At current, AG Jeff Sessions holds the keys to marijuana prohibition, and he's not handing them over easily. Turning the wheel on cannabis reform would mean that Sessions needs to go. Regardless, cannabis legalization is bound to happen in the United States.
Boehner echoed this sentiment, saying it's not a matter of "if" cannabis gets legalized, it's when. "Let me just say, I have a strong suspicion we won’t be waiting five years to see the federal government legalize cannabis."
In the meantime, if you are an Ohioan suffering from one of these 21 medical conditions you may be eligible to treat your ailment with medical marijuana. Click hereto learn more about what Ohio Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you, or give us a call at 1-866-457-5559 and our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process, and set you up with an appointment.