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Trump administration ends Obama cannabis policy (Newsletter: Jan. 5, 2018)
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VT House approves legalization bill; OK medical cannabis vote date set; Lawmakers push back on Sessions
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era Cole memo that has generally allowed states to implement their own marijuana laws without federal interference.
The move represents a clear violation of President Trump’s repeated campaign promises to respect state cannabis laws.
A large number of members of Congress and state officials across party lines pushed back against the decision.
Vermont’s House of Representatives approved a marijuana legalization bill, setting up a final Senate vote next week.
/ FEDERAL
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, asked about the federal marijuana move, said, “The president believes in enforcing federal law…that is regardless of what the topic is, whether it’s marijuana or it’s immigration.”
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson wasn’t willing to predict whether the marijuana change would lead to more prosecutions. The official also said there are no current plans to begin sending threat letters to state-legal cannabis businesses. However, an official also wouldn’t rule out medical cannabis prosecutions.
Colorado’s U.S. attorney suggested that the disappearance of the Cole memo wouldn’t change his marijuana enforcement strategy.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio implied that the Sessions move wouldn’t change much.
Vermont’s U.S. attorney also indicated she’s not about to launch a cannabis crackdown.
The same goes for the Western District of Washington’s U.S. attorney.
Oregon’s U.S. attorney suggested he would continue to use Cole memo priorities in determining enforcement actions.
Alaska’s U.S. attorney said he will “continue to use the long-established principles of federal prosecution to determine what cases to charge.”T
he U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia said the office will “utilize long-established principles of prosecutorial discretion in pursuing cases.”
Pennsylvania’s U.S. attorney said his office will continue going after “criminal organizations which traffic in all illegal controlled substances, including marijuana.”
The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas said he will “continue to exercise our prosecutorial discretion and evaluate criminal cases on an individual basis.”
Rhode Island’s U.S. attorney said he would “evaluate each matter based upon its specific facts, and then rely upon the well-established principals that govern all federal prosecutions when deciding which cases to pursue.”
The Massachusetts U.S attorney said his office would “prosecute bulk cultivation and trafficking cases, and those who use the federal banking system illegally.”
The U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of California said the office will “evaluate violations of those laws in accordance with our district’s federal law enforcement priorities and resources.”
Former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration head Chuck Rosenberg suggested the removal of the Cole memo wouldn’t change much.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is responding to the federal marijuana change by pushing for even broader state protections in federal spending legislation than just the existing medical cannabis rider.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) seems to want to extend budget protections to cover state recreational laws as well.
Congressman Earl Blumenaeur (D-OR) congratulated Vermont on its marijuana legalization vote.
The U.S. Senate bill to respect state medical cannabis laws got one new cosponsor, bringing the total to eight.
/ STATES
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) placed a medical cannabis measure on the state’s June 26 primary election ballot.
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said the state won’t amend its marijuana laws in response to federal enforcement policy changes.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced that regulators have approved that state’s first medical cannabis dispensary to begin serving patients.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) says he wants the federal government to distinguish between medical and recreational marijuana.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said the state will move ahead with legal marijuana sales.
California’s top marijuana regulator and attorney general said the state will move ahead with legalization. And an assemblyman will file legislation to prevent state and local police from assisting federal agents in any cannabis crackdowns.
Massachusetts regulators are moving ahead with marijuana legalization implementation.
Ohio regulators said they would continue implementing the medical cannabis program despite federal changes.
Minnesota regulators said their medical cannabis program would continue as well.
The chair of Alaska’s Marijuana Control Board, who is a police chief, resigned in response to the federal move.
Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidates JB Pritzker and Daniel Biss slammed the federal marijuana change.
Louisiana’s attorney general said he supports the move to scale back state marijuana protections.
Indiana’s attorney general also seemed pleased with the change.
New Jersey’s Senate president slammed the federal cannabis move.
A Maine legislative committee hearing on marijuana legalization implementation scheduled for Friday has been canceled.
/ LOCAL
Seattle, Washington Mayor Jenny Durkan (D), a former U.S. attorney, said local police will not assist federal agents in any marijuana crackdowns.
Denver, Colorado Mayor Michael Hancock (D) expressed “severe disappointment” about federal marijuana changes.
The Los Angeles, California City Council president said the city would move ahead with legal marijuana sales.
San Francisco, California’s marijuana permitting will proceed as well.
/ INTERNATIONAL
New Canadian data shows an increasing number of patients and doctors participating in the country’s medical cannabis program.
/ ADVOCACY
The Fraternal Order of Police applauded the Department of Justice’s move to rescind state marijuana law protections.
The National Sheriffs’ Association is also happy.
Prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana could barely contain itself over the federal news.
Freedom Partners, an advocacy group funded by the Koch Brothers, slammed the federal cannabis change.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “current blunt smokers had 1.4 times the odds of purchasing cannabis relative to the cannabis users who had never smoked a blunt” and “current blunt smokers had greater odds of purchasing cannabis frequently and making the purchases in outdoor settings,” suggesting that “current blunt smokers compared to other cannabis users are at greater risk of the dangers associated with illegal drug transactions.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
Some Democratic analysts think that the party stands to benefit politically from the Trump administration’s anti-marijuana move.
/ BUSINESS
Marijuana stocks slid following news that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was rescinding guidance on state cannabis laws.
Monsanto tweeted to shoot down rumors it is working on GMO marijuana.
/ CULTURE
Actor George Takei tweeted, “AG Sessions’s move to override the will of local voters and legislatures when it comes to marijuana laws is just the latest example of conservatives’ using federal power to impose red state values on the whole country. So much for that whole smaller government thing, I guess, eh?”
Actor Richard Schiff tweeted, “The war on drugs was a monumental mistake on so many levels. Militarizing gangs and police forces; mass incarceration; crowning kingpins of trafficking in Mexico, Columbia et al; endangering and handcuffing law enforcement and costing taxpayers over a trillion dollars.”
Late night TV hosts bashed Sessions’s marijuana move.
