President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, aimed at addressing what he calls “failed policies” that have allegedly contributed to disorder and crime in the nation’s capital. Among the policies specifically highlighted is the decriminalization of cannabis in D.C. ion the accompanying fact sheet.
His order blames a few policies including the decriminalization of cannabis for opening “the door to disorder—and criminals noticed.”
In addition to decriminalizing cannabis, the Fact Sheet also criticizes the city’s approach to pre-trial detention and its handling of rioters.
The Executive Order directs the task force, comprised of members from key government agencies, to take a multi-pronged approach to restoring order and improving the city. This includes a surge of law enforcement officers to strictly enforce quality-of-life laws, such as those related to drug use, in public areas.
The executive order does not directly target cannabis or the city’s medical cannabis program, but it does “deploying a more robust Federal law enforcement presence” and coordinating with local law enforcement to target drug use, sale and possession among other things.
President Trump has vowed to “take over the horribly run capital of our nation, Washington, D.C., and clean it up, renovate it, and rebuild our capital city so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime, but rather it will become the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world.”
While the Executive Order focuses on a broad range of issues, the inclusion of cannabis decriminalization signals a potential shift in the federal government’s approach to cannabis policy in the District of Columbia. The long-term implications of this policy shift remain to be seen.
