As many expected, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has suspended Obama-era guidance documents pertaining to the federal treatment of marijuana in those states where marijuana has been legalized for recreational use. But Sessions’ move may backfire. A $9.7 billion industry has been thrown into disarray, and the 64 percent of Americans who support marijuana legalization, including half of Republicans, are wondering how and why an unelected federal official essentially overturned the will of the nearly 70 million people who live in states that have legalized recreational marijuana.
It’s time for the millions of Americans who support increased research on marijuana, the relaxation of federal marijuana laws, outright legalization or anything in between to call on their representatives to clarify the relationship between federal and state marijuana laws. It’s time to limit the ability of throwback drug warriors like Jeff Sessions to fight a drug war the people don’t want.
Since Colorado became the first state to allow for the sale of recreational marijuana, United States drug policy has been on shaky and unpredictable ground. The Obama-era memo from the Department of Justice, known as the “Cole memo,” merely allowed states to proceed with their legalization experiments at the sufferance of DOJ officials. That was never a stable ground for courting investment, building an industry or promoting research.
No comments:
Post a Comment