Paul Ryan was elected speaker of the House of Representatives this week. So what does that mean for the legalization movement? Will Ryan support the ongoing War on Drugs?

Like the majority of 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Ryan says he wants to let states decide the fate of cannabis for themselves.

He hasn't always been so tolerant, however. In the past, Ryan voted against legalizing medicinal cannabis in Washington, DC. In 2006, he opposed a bill to prevent the Justice Department and DEA from targeting medical marijuana users.

The takeaway for legalization advocates: does he really support states' rights on this issue? If so, how will affect his approach to government policies now that he is House speaker?

The Ryan of 2006 would support the DEA position of continuing to raid medical marijuana facilities, even in legal states. So when Ryan now says he'll respect the rights of states, does he mean he will support current congressional initiatives to prevent the DEA from interfering with legal medical marijuana dispensaries?

I guess we'll have to wait and see.