President Donald Trump has appointed Mark Savaya, a Michigan marijuana dispensary owner, as his special envoy to the Republic of Iraq. The announcement came Sunday on Truth Social, where Trump praised Savaya’s “deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship” and his regional connections.
Savaya, owner of the Leaf and Block dispensary chain in Metro Detroit, has become a well-known figure in Michigan’s cannabis industry, where his advertisements line highways and storefronts. Born in Iraq and of Chaldean Catholic heritage, Savaya represents Metro Detroit’s large Chaldean and Arab American communities, among the largest outside the Middle East.
Trump credited Savaya for helping his 2024 campaign secure record support from Muslim and Arab American voters in Michigan, a pivotal swing state. Many voters from the region shifted toward Trump over dissatisfaction with President Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict.
Savaya expressed gratitude for the appointment on Instagram, pledging to “strengthen the U.S.–Iraq partnership under President Trump’s leadership.”
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