Marijuana legalization advocates and industry actors remain optimistic about the incoming Trump administration's attitude towards pot, despite some less-than-reassuring comments from the man who will soon be charged with enforcing drug laws in America.

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General, in a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week said he could not commit to not enforcing federal marijuana laws when at the helm of the Department of Justice. He didn't say he would crack down on cannabis, either.

"I won't commit to never enforcing federal law...but absolutely it's a problem of resources for the federal government," he said. "Good judgment on how to handle these cases will be a responsibility of mine, which won't be an easy decision, but I will try to do my duty in a fair and just way."

Robert Capecchi, director of federal projects at marijuana policy organization the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement applauded Sessions, interpreting his remarks on the matter with a glass-half-full attitude.

"It is notable that Senator Sessions chose not to commit to vigorously enforcing federal prohibition laws in states that have reformed their marijuana laws," he said. "He also recognized that enforcing federal marijuana laws would be dependent upon the availability of resources, the scarcity of which poses a problem. He was given the opportunity to take an extreme prohibitionist approach and he passed on it."

Nick Kovacevich, CEO of marijuana packaging company Kush Bottles (KSHB) , echoed the optimism.

"Sessions and a lot of the Republican administration have always been, traditionally, state rights focused," he said. "I think, ultimately, they're going to let the states regulate the way that they see fit and they're going to enforce on the fringe."

Sessions has a reputation as a hardliner on drugs. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont at Tuesday's Senate hearing noted that the 70-year-old Senator had once even advocated "for the death penalty for anyone convicted of a second drug trafficking offense, including marijuana."

Sessions said this week that it will be his job to enforce laws "as effectively as we are able" and that changing drug laws is up to the legislature.

"The United States Congress has made the possession of marijuana in every state and the distribution of it an illegal act, so if that's something that is not desired any longer, then Congress should pass a law to change the rule," he said.

While marijuana has been legalized for medical and recreational purposes in a number of states, it is federal classified as a Schedule 1 drug, the same as heroin and LSD. The Justice Department under the Obama administration adopted a noninterference policy with state marijuana laws in 2013, which Sessions may or may not uphold.

"Sessions isn't stopping my work or my plans, period. I'm going to stay the course," said Kenny Morrison, CEO and founder of cannabis-infused products manufacturer VCC Brands, in an email. "I've been nervous for years, long before he came along."

The marijuana industry has been relatively bullish on the Trump administration. The president-elect has expressed support for medical marijuana and said legalization should be a state-by-state issue.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer in an interview with Fox News this week said that the real estate magnate is concerned about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and will be "very careful" in the arena. Trump's brother died of alcoholism, and he has never had a drink.

Spicer also emphasized that Sessions won't be calling the shots on drug policy as Attorney General.

"When you come into a Trump administration, it's the Trump agenda that you are implementing, not your own," he said. "Senator Sessions is well aware of that."

Capecchi called the comments "promising."

"Considering both Senator Sessions and Mr. Spicer's comments, we remain cautiously optimistic that the incoming administration will continue the current policy of not interfering with individuals and entities acting in compliance with state marijuana laws," he said.

Marijuana has been legalized in some fashion in more than half of all U.S. states. Eight states approved medical or recreational marijuana ballot initiatives in November, including California, whose highly-coveted market some estimates say could be worth as much as $50 billion by 2026.

Kovacevich noted another reason the Trump administration might be marijuana-friendly: jobs. Part of Trump's campaign platform was to boost the economy to create 25 million jobs over the course of a decade, and the blossoming pot industry could help him achieve that goal.

"What Donald Trump ran on was jobs, job creation, U.S. jobs, and we're seeing the cannabis industry do that more so than any other industry, because everything sold in the United States is also produced in the United States," he said. "Jobs are a key piece."