received a promise from the president on the states' rights' concern earlier this past week.
Sessions on January 4 rescinded a policy begun under Democratic former President Barack Obama that had eased enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that legalized it.
Gardner said because of those commitments, he informed the Administration that he would be lifting remaining holds on DOJ nominees. Congressman Jared Polis, who introduced a bill in March 2017 to de-schedule marijuana as a federally illegal substance, worked with Gardner and state representatives Ed Perlmutter and Diana DeGette to create a spending-bill amendment to restrict the DOJ from interfering with Colorado's legal pot industry. In light of Trump's phone call, the senator said he has had a change of heart.
"Since the campaign, President Trump has consistently supported states' rights to decide for themselves how best to approach marijuana", said Gardner.
President Donald Trump has assured a top Senate Republican that he will allow states to pursue marijuana laws as they see fit, seemingly bringing an end to tense speculation that his administration could be preparing to mount a crackdown on state-legal cannabis operations. Only a fool would bet any money on it.
Matt Fox, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates state control of marijuana laws, said this was a positive step in the short and long term - as a signal to Sessions to get more in line with Trump's previously-stated views on marijuana policy and as motivation for lawmakers to seriously tackle marijuana policy reform. Until then, it's just a promise, and accepting the promises of a pathological liar is never wise.
The president's decision would represent a split from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who in January rescinded an Obama-era policy, known as "the Cole memo", that gave states more leeway over the federal government on marijuana policy.
After Trump selected Sessions, a former federal prosecutor and also USA senator from Alabama, as his attorney general, bud fans girded for a crackdown.
Cory Gardner says Trump made the pledge to him in a Wednesday night conversation.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said during Friday's press briefing that the president spoke with Gardner today and yesterday. In response to that decision, Rep. Gardner had vowed to block all nominees for Justice Department jobs.
"Clearly, we've expressed our frustration with the delay with a lot of our nominees and feel that too often, senators hijack a nominee for a policy solution", Short added. "But at the same time, we're anxious to get our team at the Department of Justice".
Meanwhile, legislation to guard countries in which marijuana is authorized is now being drafted.
Senator Gardner reiterated that he and his colleagues "are continuing to work diligently on a bipartisan legislative solution (to the state/federal conflict) that can pass Congress and head to the President's desk".