The President Donald Trump appointed the owner of a marijuana dispensary chain as the new Special Envoy of his Administration 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 knowledge of Iraqi-U.S. relations and connections to the region will serve the American public well, Trump stated in a Truth Social message on Sunday. Mark was an important player in my Michigan campaign, where, along with others, he helped achieve a record-breaking vote among Muslim Americans.
Savaya’s cannabis business raised controversy due to its aggressive advertising on billboards. Accordingly, the Detroit City Council passed restrictions against such 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.
As of Sunday, reviews mentioning Savaya could still be found on the site. In one review it was noted that an image of Savaya squeezing Rudy Giuliani’s hand had been placed in a store.
Wayback Machine archived the website in August of last year, and the previous description was “the creator behind Leaf and Bud.”
The site stated that “Savaya’s passion for horticulture and his deep knowledge of cannabis has made Leaf and Bud a leader in this field.” His Mark Savaya collection, which is his own brand of cannabis, has a unique hybrid strain. It’s only available in Leaf and Bud centers, an expanding chain that offers medical and recreational marijuana. The products include edibles and concentrates as well as topicals, oils and more.
Leaf and Bud’s high-quality products are produced using innovative techniques and cutting-edge technology. The company’s environmentally-friendly operations reflect Savaya’s dedication to sustainability.
Savaya companies’ ads, which caused a local uproar in some areas, reportedly read: “Come Get it. You can get free weed.
Savaya posts pictures of him on Instagram with Trump, and others in the administration. This includes Pam Bondi who will oversee the action taken on the marijuana rescheduling plan that President Trump endorsed in his campaign last year and promised a decision within “a few weeks”. That was more than two month ago.
Savaya wrote in an Instagram message on Sunday: “I feel deeply honored, grateful and humbled that President Donald J. Trump has appointed me Special Envoy for the Republic of Iraq.” “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-MEDCAN24 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.