Politics
Trump Taps Marijuana Industry ‘Visionary’ As Special Envoy To Iraq
President Donald Trump has appointed the founder of a chain of marijuana dispensaries to serve as his administration’s new special envoy to the Republic of Iraq.
Mark Savaya, who founded the Leaf & Bud cannabis company in Michigan, does not appear to have any prior government experience.
“Mark’s deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship, and his connections in the region, will help advance the interests of the American people,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “Mark was a key player in my campaign in Michigan, where he, and others, helped secure a record vote with Muslim Americans.”
Savaya’s cannabis business caused controversy with its aggressive billboard advertising strategy, reportedly prompting the Detroit City Council to pass restrictions on such marketing tactics.
Some Leaf & Bud ads promoted a line of products called the “Mark Savaya Collection,” though most mentions of Savaya appear to have been removed from the company’s website, according to The Independent.
“Reviews mentioning Savaya were still visible on the site as of Sunday, including one noting that a picture of Savaya shaking Rudy Giuliani’s hand was present in one store location,” the outlet reported.
The company’s website previously described Savaya as “the visionary behind Leaf and Bud,” but that was removed sometime after August, when the page was last archived by the Wayback Machine.
“With a passion for horticulture and a deep understanding of the cannabis industry, Savaya has established Leaf and Bud as a leader in the field,” the site had said. “His brand-label cannabis, called the Mark Savaya Collection, features a hybrid strain that’s exclusively available at Leaf and Bud, a growing chain of centers offering medical and recreational cannabis in the Michigan area. Products include edibles, concentrates, topicals, oils, and more.”
“Through innovative cultivation techniques and state-of-the-art technology, Leaf and Bud produces high-quality cannabis products,” it said. “Savaya’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility is reflected in the company’s energy-efficient operations,”
Some ads from Savaya’s company that had caused local controversy reportedly said, “Come get it. Free Weed.”
Savaya has regularly posted photos on Instagram of himself with Trump and other administration figures. That includes Attorney General Pam Bondi, who would oversee any action on the marijuana rescheduling proposal that the president endorsed during last year’s campaign and said there would be a determination on within a “few weeks” more than two months ago.
“I am deeply humbled, honored and grateful to President Donald J. Trump for appointing me as Special Envoy to the Republic of Iraq,” Savaya said in an Instagram post on Sunday. “I am committed to strengthening the U.S.–Iraq partnership under President Trump’s leadership and guidance. Thank you, Mr. President.”
In an interview last week, an unnamed senior White House official said cannabis reform is “good politics”—comparing the issue to how same-sex marriage gradually gained bipartisan support over time.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for White House drug czar recently dodged a series of written questions from senators about her position on marijuana rescheduling, medical cannabis legalization and racial disparities in drug enforcement.
Ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote earlier this momth to advance the nomination of Sara Carter Bailey as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the nominee submitted responses to a variety of questions from members, including multiple that dealt with cannabis.
Trump’s approval rating on marijuana policy remains largely underwater among cannabis consumers, according to the latest quarterly NuggMD-Marijuana Moment tracking poll. And while many stakeholders were encouraged to see the president share a video touting the health benefits of CBD, a majority of consumers don’t see it as an indication the administration will be moving forward with cannabis rescheduling.
