President Donald Trump has vowed to support legislation protecting the cannabis industry in states that have legally approved the drug. This is a major turnaround from earlier this year when the U.S. attorney general threatened the industry at large.

Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado disclosed how Trump made the pledge to him in a conversation on Wednesday, April 11.

“President Trump has assured me that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all,” said Gardner.

The Gardner-trump announcement shocks cannabis industry insiders and politicians

The news of Trump’s decision to protect states’ cannabis laws from federal interference came as a surprise to cannabis industry insiders and politicians.

U.S. representative Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) described the announcement as “another head-spinning moment.”

Blumenauer expressed his thoughts on Trump’s promise in a statement, saying how “Trump changes his mind constantly” and so, “we should hope for the best.”

California Congresswoman Barbara Lee also made a statement on Trump’s commitment to the cannabis industry.

“While this is a step in the right direction, I remain concerned that President Trump has surrounded himself with extreme voices on this issue – most notably Attorney General Jeff Sessions,” she told The Cannabist.

Lee has been responsible for introducing many important bills, including the Restricting Excessive Federal Enforcement and Regulations of Cannabis (REFER) Act and a companion House bill to Sen. Cory Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act, the latter of which was introduced in January.

Co-founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Colorado Rep. Jared Polis, is optimistic, yet cautious about the announcement. Polis described the announcement as a “meaningful step forward for the states’ rights and sensible marijuana policy,” in a statement to The Cannabist.

The Gardner-Trump conversation is “reasonable and promising,” according to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

“The Department of Justice will get far greater benefit per dollars spent by continuing to focus on major crimes such as heroin, meth and human trafficking,” Hickenlooper’s statement reads.

Andy Williams is the Founder and President of a publicly-traded cannabis advisory and consulting firm called Medicine Man Technologies.

He has praised Senator Cory Gardner for “stepping up for Colorado and making a big impact on cannabis industry.”

A former member of the Maryland General Assembly and director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policies Project, Don Murphy, also hailed Gardner for his efforts.

“Everyone who knew about President Trump’s statements on this issue during the campaign were hoping he would uphold those values and support states’ abilities to enact laws regulating marijuana for medical or adult use while in office,” said Murphy.

“This news should make states more comfortable implementing their legalization programs. It should also serve as a rallying cry for lawmakers to pass comprehensive legislation that leaves marijuana policy to the states permanently,” he continued.

Not everybody is happy about the Gardner-Trump conversation, however. Kevin Sabet is the leader of SAM – a non-profit group in opposition to cannabis legalization. He is adamant that the discussion between Gardner and Trump is “ill-conceived and wrong.”