Drug Policy
Related: About this forumStates with legal pot denounce federal marijuana crackdown
Source: Reuters
States with legal pot denounce federal marijuana crackdown
Chris Prentice
5 MIN READ
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawmakers in U.S. states that have legalized marijuana denounced a move by the Trump administration on Thursday to cancel a policy that kept federal prosecutors at bay from the fledgling cannabis industries and vowed to uphold their state laws.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Justice Department was rescinding an Obama-era policy that eased enforcement of federal marijuana laws amid a wave of legalization in states from Pennsylvania to Alaska. The shift came just three days after California launched the worlds largest regulated commercial market for recreational marijuana.
State officials said the move amounted to meddling in states affairs and ignored more pressing priorities like the opioid crisis.
It was not clear how the change might affect a burgeoning marijuana industry in the six states including California and Colorado that have legalized the drug for recreational use, plus dozens of others that permit medicinal use. The industry is forecast to reach nearly $23 billion in sales by 2021.
Californias attorney general, Xavier Becerra, vowed to vigorously enforce our states laws and protect our states interests.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-marijuana-states/states-with-legal-pot-denounce-federal-marijuana-crackdown-idUSKBN1ET2CA
Irish_Dem
(58,758 posts)And start burning down the mj fields?
Sends the DEA to arrest the owners of a few commercial grow houses and pot stores...
And he doesn't even have to go that far. The rescinding of the memo was enough to cause banks and investors to back away from legal cannabis sales.
That will disrupt a significant part of the legal pot industry.
SoCalNative
(4,613 posts)since they are federally regulated and thus never offered accounts to the industry. And investors likely won't care as long as they make money.
lapfog_1
(30,225 posts)and were becoming involved in California.
This will throw some cold water on that... making recreational pot more difficult.
Irish_Dem
(58,758 posts)makes investors hesitate.
regnaD kciN
(26,614 posts)Irish_Dem
(58,758 posts)ghostsinthemachine
(3,569 posts)Just like Obama did. Sent letters to property owners telling them they were guilty of crimes taking place on their property. Then threatening forfeiture. Set the industry back five years then.