Law enforcement officials in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use say they do not expect U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to impose any kind of federal crackdown.
Earlier last week, Sessions was in parts of Washington to deliver a speech against the concept of sanctuary cities. It was during a meeting in Seattle, where Sessions met with sheriffs from several counties across the states, that he gave no indication that his Justice Department was set to interfere with legal weed.
In fact, Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson told The Daily News that he did not get the feeling that the nation’s leading law enforcement figure was preparing to cause problems for states that have legalized the leaf. But Nelson, who also opposes marijuana reform, did say the attorney general made it clear that he “will not support the legalization of marijuana.”
In 2012, Washington became one of the first states in the nation to legalize a recreational marijuana market. Since then, a number of additional states from east to west have done the same. However, ever since Sessions took over at the Justice Department, has given some indication that he wants to wipe this states’ rights issue off the grid.
But last week’s meeting seems to have focused on opioid-related deaths and illegal drugs being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico.
Sheriff Nelson told the news source that Sessions did not divulge any plan of attack for legal marijuana.
“The impression I got was that he was talking more philosophically,” Nelson said.
This is not the first time an official in a legal marijuana state has indicated that Sessions has no plans to impose a federal crackdown.
It was not that long ago that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, when speaking about his meeting with the attorney general, said, “he didn't give me any reason to think that he is going to come down and suddenly try to put everyone out of business.”
Still, Sessions has maintained since his confirmation hearing that Congress needs to change the law if marijuana prohibition is not something lawmakers wish to continue.
