As more and more politicians of all stripes move towards support of federal legalization of cannabis, two senior Republicans have joined the advisory board of a major cannabis company.  According to The Hill, the former Speaker of the House John Boehner and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld became advisers to a New York-based grower and distributor of cannabis.

The article reminds us that Boehner was formerly opposed to legalization, though Weld, a moderate, has been a long-time supporter. They issued a joint statement saying, “we both believe the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy.” They focused particularly on the view of a large majority of Americans that cannabis should be legalized on a federal level.

As we know, President Trump said during the campaign that he is “100%” in favor of medical cannabis and that adult use should be decided by the states. Of course he is famous for changing his mind and frankly does not appear focused on the issue. And Attorney General Jeff Sessions remains strongly opposed to legalization and rescinded a series of advisory memos designed to protect those complying with state cannabis laws. But we have not yet seen any increase in federal enforcement efforts, though a number of states recently have been cracking down on unlicensed operators.

While it seems unlikely for the time being that the Trump Administration would unilaterally deschedule cannabis and legalize it (which they could), there is growing belief among DC-watchers that Congress might yet consider some action. For example, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he intends to introduce legislation to legalize hemp. The legislators are paying attention to the massive taxes coming into legal states, reduction in opioid use and deaths in those states, and many new jobs being created.