Trump won’t “turn his back” on Colorado pot laws, GOP lawmaker says
A top Republican lawmaker in Colorado is casting doubt on whether Donald Trumps administration will crack down on the legalization of marijuana, saying the new president wouldnt turn his back on states rights.
Colorado Senate President Pro Tem Jerry Sonnenberg, the chambers No. 2 Republican and a Trump supporter, reacted after the statement from White House spokesman Sean Spicer that recreational pot will face greater enforcement.
Im not sure Id put too much thought or too much credit into what he was saying, Sonnenberg told reporters Monday morning. This president has been all about federalism and giving the states more authority, this just flies in the face of that. So I would anticipate not much coming from that.
Gov. John Hickenlooper downplayed the suggestion a day earlier in a Meet the Press interview, affirming that he didnt believe the federal government would target states like Colorado that legalized weed.
Colorado U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner has suggested a change in federal policy toward states on marijuana is unlikely, but Sonnenbergs comments are the most forceful Republican push back against the White House on the issue since the announcement Thursday.
Colorado has been the leader when it comes to marijuana and the regulation, he said. People look to us for leadership, and I dont think our new president will turn his back on allowing states to do ...
