Sessions raises “serious questions” about Colorado’s marijuana management in letter to gov
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says Colorado isnt making good on its promises to stop marijuana from spilling over its borders, nor is the state keeping it out of the hands of kids.
Sessions raised serious questions about the states marijuana regulation and called on Gov. John Hickenlooper to remedy the situation in a letter obtained by The Cannabist. It is dated July 24 and arrived at the Colorado Capitol late Thursday, officials said.
The governors of at least two other states that have legalized adult-use cannabis also received letters from the attorney general addressing the efficacy of their respective state marijuana regulatory structures.
In his letter to Hickenlooper, Sessions cited data from a September 2016 report by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), a federally funded agency operated by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The report on the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado claimed increases in highway patrol seizures, youth use, traffic deaths and emergency department visits since the state legalized adult-use sales of cannabis in 2014.
These findings are relevant to the policy debate concerning marijuana legalization, Sessions wrote. please advise as to how Colorado plans to address the serious findings in the Rocky Mountain HIDTA report, including efforts to ensure that all marijuana activity is compliant with state marijuana laws, to combat diversion of marijuana, to protect public health and safety, and to prevent marijuana use by minors.
The letters structure and message were practically identical to that of a separate letter Sessions sent to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a correspondence that the Huffington Post obtained and reported late Thursday evening. Officials for Oregon Gov. Kate Browns office told The Cannabist late Friday that they also received a letter from Sessions, but declined to immediately provide it.
Notable passages in both the Colorado and Washington letters highlight where Sessions sees flexibility for federal enforcement actions under the 2013 Cole Memorandum Obama-era guidance for how prosecutors and law enforcement could prioritize their marijuana-related enforcement efforts. Both letters cited bullet-pointed data from each regions respective HIDTA.
What is interesting here, however, is that Sessions accusations (are) that states are not complying with the Cole Memo, perhaps suggesting he is fine with the Cole Memo just not the previous administrations enforcement of it, said John Hudak, a drug policy expert and senior fellow with the Brookings Institution.
Colorado officials are taking the issues Sessions raised in the letter very seriously, said Mark Bolton, Hickenloopers marijuana adviser, adding that state officials share the attorney generals concerns.
But as to whether he thinks Sessions is hinting at any forthcoming federal enforcement actions on marijuana in this new letter, Bolton said, We dont take it that way.
We want to engage in a dialogue with the attorney general, the White House, the Justice Department about the most effective ways that the state and the federal government can work together to protect our priorities of public safety, public health and other law enforcement priorities, he said.
Sessions latest letters are a response to an April 3 letter from Hickenlooper and the governors of Alaska, Oregon and Washington that implored the attorney general and treasury secretary to engage with us before embarking on any changes to regulatory and enforcement systems.
Its unclear whether Alaska received similar correspondence to those received by Colorado, Washington and Oregon; inquiries from The Cannabist to the governor Bill Walkers office were not immediately returned.
Sessions has taken a hard-line stance against state-level marijuana legalization efforts since his appointment as attorney general. His bellicose language has generated concern among legalization advocates that the Trump Administration might abandon the hands-off approach of the previous administration and increase enforcement actions of federal marijuana laws.
The Department of Justice Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, created earlier this year, was expected to review existing policies in the areas of charging, sentencing and marijuana. As of last week, Sessions received the recommendations from the task force, some on a rolling basis, and plans to announce policy changes when appropriate, Justice Department officials have told The Cannabist.
On Friday, the Associated Press reported that the task force had no new policy recommendations related to marijuana, instead recommending that officials continue to review the Cole Memo and other existing policies.
Any Justice Department interference in state-regulated marijuana regimes would be unacceptable, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement posted Friday:
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said she will continue to defend Colorados marijuana laws.
But at the same time, I have always said that legalized marijuana presents significant challenges and public officials need to remain vigilant, she said in an emailed statement. Thats the message I gave to officials from the White House and Justice Department when they visited our state last month, and thats why my office has been responsible for some of the most significant marijuana busts in recent history. We cannot allow bad actors to use our laws as a shield.
She added she is hopeful that Colorado can work in concert with federal officials.
In recent years, Washington, D.C., has offered little leadership on this issue. Attorney General Sessions letter suggests new interest in a strong federal-state law enforcement partnership aimed at protecting public safety in this area, something I look forward to exploring.
When Hickenlooper met with Sessions in Washington, D.C., in late April, the governor explained Colorados regulatory structure, and how officials are tracking data related to public health and safety concerns. Likewise, Hickenlooper outlined how state marijuana tax revenue is supporting enforcement efforts against illegal activity.
At that time, Hickenlooper told The Cannabist that a federal crackdown on state-allowed marijuana systems seemed unlikely.
Two weeks ago, officials from the Justice Department and other federal agencies met with about 20 representatives from a variety of Colorado agencies involved in marijuana regulation. Colorado officials presented a slew of charts, data and information about marijuana regulation and how the state is addressing public health, safety and law enforcement concerns, according to presentation materials provided by Hickenloopers office in response to a public records request made last week by The ...
