Trump Says His Secretary Of State Pick Marco Rubio Is 'Powerful Voice For Freedom' – But What About Cannabis?

Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio is President-elect Donald Trump's pick for the role of Secretary of State.

Trump praised Rubio (53) as a "highly respected leader" and a "powerful voice for freedom." But, will he be that open-minded when it comes to cannabis policy reform?

Judging by his earlier stance, what's left for cannabis shareholders and advocates, is hope.

Rubio Is Just Not That Into Cannabis

In a 2022 interview with a Pensacola TV station, Rubio revealed his reasons for taking a stance against federal cannabis legalization. The concept of cannabis as a "gateway" drug, or one leading users to more dangerous drugs, was one of his main concerns.

“When you decriminalize something, the message that you’re basically sending people is it must not be that bad,” Rubio said, as highlighted by Benzinga's Nina Zdinjak. “Now, suddenly, you’re an 18- or 17-year-old, [and you] say, ‘well, I know marijuana, you tell me not to smoke it, but you know what? It can’t be that bad, because the federal government made it legal.'”

At the time, Rubio also argued that cannabis bought from illegal sources has been laced with the strong opioid fentanyl, a drug involved in about 30,000 overdose deaths last year. 

Read Also: Trump Reportedly Considers Marco Rubio For Secretary Of State Role Who Shares Similar Stance For China, But Says Stock Market ‘Is Not The Economy’

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Asked by the Daily Mail nearly a decade ago whether he ever used cannabis, Rubio answered ambiguously, reported Reason. 

"I’ll tell you why I never answer that question,” he said back in 2014. “If I tell you that I haven’t, you won’t believe me. And if I tell you that I did, then kids will look up to me and say, ‘well, I can smoke marijuana because look how he made it.'”

That’s because there's "no responsible way to recreationally use" marijuana, according to Rubio, reported HuffPost.

This stance doesn't come as a surprise considering that in 2014 he expressed his support for continued criminal penalties for recreational cannabis use. "I don’t think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country,” Rubio said as reported by Tampa Bay.

Moreover, during his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, he openly supported cracking down on states that have legalized marijuana and enforcing the law, that prohibits marijuana, reported Broward Palm Beach New Times. "I believe the federal government needs to enforce federal law,” he said at the time.

But…

Interestingly, Rubio also said medical use of cannabis is something he could consider if it is the non-psychoactive type.

In 2016, he reiterated his stance on the recreational use of cannabis, but slightly amended his view on medical marijuana, reported the Washington Times. He said "If there's a medicinal use — if you can go to the FDA and prove that it helps with medicine, that's fine. Then turn it into medicine."

Keeping in mind that Rubio once referred to Trump as "the most vulgar person," one cannot help but wonder whether Rubio will take a U-turn on cannabis. Or is the saying "The fox changes its fur but not its vice," a more probable scenario?

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