Will There Be More Marijuana Arrests Under Trump? Sean Spicer Vows 'Greater Enforcement' Of Federal Cannabis Laws

Despite President Donald Trump’s claim to keep marijuana laws regulated at the state level, the nation will see “greater enforcement” of federal cannabis laws in regards to recreational marijuana, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a media briefing Thursday.

Spicer failed to explain whether this would mean the eight states with legal recreational marijuana programs would come under prosecution. However, the Department of Justice would continue to follow the federal government’s strict laws regarding the sale, transport and use of recreational marijuana, he said.

As for medical marijuana, the Trump administration has a fundamentally different view regarding laws for patients, Spicer said.

“There’s a big difference between the medical use, which congress has through an appropriations writer in 2014 made very clear what their intent was in terms of how the Department of Justice would handle that issue. That’s very different than the recreational use, which is something I think the Department of Justice will be further looking into,” Spicer said, noting that the president understands the "comfort" medical marijuana can bring to patients suffering from debilitating illnesses.

Spicer’s comments seem to be in line with Trump’s attorney general pick Jeff Sessions’ stance on enforcing federal marijuana laws. The Republican and now-former Alabama Sen. Sessions, who has been a vigilant opponent of marijuana, said in January during his concession hearings that he wouldn’t “commit to never enforcing federal law” when asked how he planned to tackle the differentiating marijuana laws between the federal and state government. He also noted that the conflicting federal and state cannabis laws were “a problem of resources for the federal government.”

He continued: “I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress has made the possession of marijuana in every state and distribution of it an illegal act. If that something is not desired any longer, Congress should pass the law to change the rule. It’s not so much the attorney general’s job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we’re able.”