President Barack Obama’s State of the Union and corresponding press tour painted a promising picture for the future of the marijuana industry.
The President said he could see several states following in the footsteps of Washington state and Colorado by legalizing the drug and also commented that his administration would consider decriminalizing marijuana usage and taking it off of the Schedule 1 list of banned substances.
His remarks fell in-line with rising opinion polls that favor the legalization and decriminalization of recreational marijuana and spurred on speculation that the industry will continue to grow in the coming decade.
However, it seems that not everyone in Washington is on the same page.
In her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch voiced her disagreement with Obama’s view on marijuana legalization, saying that if she is confirmed she will push to maintain the drug’s illegal status.
Her comments were a blow to those hoping to see cannabis reclassified in the coming year as more and more states opt to legalize it.
The US military is also maintaining its stance against drug use; and military law still prohibits the use of marijuana among military personnel even in states where the drug has been made legal.
On Wednesday, a military base in Seattle sent letters to surrounding retailers warning that allowing military personnel to enter the store or buy cannabis products was against the law.
The warning has received mixed results from retailers who say that they have no way of identifying those who are part of the military if they are wearing civilian clothes.
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