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Trump’s New Chief of Staff Is the Marijuana Movement's 'Strongest Ally in the White House'


Calvin Hughes
Dec 15, 2018
In a tweet last night President Donal Trump announced his new hire for White House Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney is currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget as well as the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Once he starts the new job, Mulvaney may just be one of the biggest cannabis reform supporters in the White House, a potential boon for the legalization movement.

Over the past few years, Mulvaney has supported amendments that would have prevented the Department of Justice from interfering in state cannabis laws; allowed Veterans Affairs doctors to offer medical marijuana to vets; and given banks more agency to deal with state-legal marijuana business without federal repercussions. Experts see Mulvaney's past voting decisions as a sign that he may play a key role in changing the federal stance on cannabis.

"Mulvaney's history of opposing wasteful government spending and support for states' rights, specifically when it comes to marijuana, makes him our strongest ally in the White House," Don Murphy, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment.

While it's unclear how often Mulvaney will actually see cannabis related measures land on his desk, he will be involved in discussions with the president about which legislations should be supported. And some of those are bound to be marijuana-related.