Although much of the bi-partisan politics world is against President Obama’s recent SCOTUS nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, the marijuana industry as a whole remains optimistic. From thoughts that Mr. Garland will bring a well-balanced viewpoint based on science rather on propaganda and scare tactics to his logical interpretations of the laws, check out these reactions from several key industry players:
Eddie Miller, Chief Strategy Officer of GreenRush
Judge Merrick Garland, a prudent and pragmatic choice for the Supreme Court by President O’Bama; once said: “Don’t we have to defer to their judgement? We’re not scientists. They are.” We believe the President has picked a nominee for the Supreme Court who is both a pragmatic and logical juror. Great jurisprudence is the result of logical interpretation of our laws as well as a hyper logical approach and examination of expert opinion. The Judge has cited that in order for policy makers to craft proper American Public policy toward Medical Marijuana, it is vital to listen to the scientist, and especially give them a chance to do their work.
Jeffery M. Zucker, President of Green Lion Partners
“While we can’t say for certain how he will be on the Bench if his nomination is accepted, Garland appears to be a safe choice from the cannabis industry perspective. Although he hasn’t been a champion of the issue, it’s good to know that he has an open mind to listen to the scientists that actually understand how the plant’s chemical compounds interact with the human body.”
Andy Williams, CEO of Medicine Man (the largest dispensary in Denver, CO)
“I anticipate over the next several years the Supreme Court will weigh in on some of the most pressing issues for the industry from banking to commerce and issues of federalism. I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will see the cannabis issue as favorably as the broader public and move forward in a positive way.”
Derek Peterson, CEO of Terra Tech (TRTC)
“We’re pleased with President Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Mr. Garland appears to have broad respect for the medical cannabis community. It will be nice to have a voice that relies on the science rather than unfounded preconceived notions based on reefer-madness and propaganda. ”
Aaron Herzberg, Partner at CalCann Holdings
“Judge Garland appears to be a well-reasoned and thoughtful jurist. Presently the case of Nebraska and Oklahoma v Colorado is pending before the Supreme Court In which those states are seeking to invalidate Colorado’s legalization on the basis of federal preemption. Judge Garland may be involved in deciding this important case. He was previously part of a 3 judge panel that denied a request to reschedule marijuana from class I controlled substance to a lower class- but although he denied that request he made remarks that scientists and not judges or the government should decide whether marijuana should be reclassified.”
Kyle Sherman, CEO of Flowhub
“Judge Garland’s ability to look past prohibition era rhetoric and focus in on listening to what the scientific community has been saying since Nixon’s days is a fantastic thing for our industry and for the patients that so desperately need safe access to their full plant based medicine. It’s important that we don’t let politics get in the way of cannabis legalization and we focus in on the facts. Cannabis is a safe substance that the majority of Americans want legalized for adult use, I’m thankful that someone like Judge Garland is on the right side of history.”
What do you think of the SCOTUS nominee and the potential impacts on the marijuana industry?
Photo: Toke Tank
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