Sessions criticizes Washington states legal marijuana system
Is U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions about to crack down on legal marijuana?
A recent letter he sent to top Washington officials, critiquing the state’s legal pot system, “raises concerns significantly,” said state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
But before anyone rushes out to stock up on legal supplies, The Associated Press reports that a task force assembled by Sessions is recommending that the U.S. Department of Justice continue to study the Obama administration’s arms-length approach to legalization experiments that spread from Washington and Colorado in 2012 to eight states today.
Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday that shortcomings of Washington’s legal pot system cited by Sessions are inaccurate and out-of-date.
“Honestly, it’s hard to take him seriously if he relies on such outdated information,” Ferguson said in an interview.
Ferguson pointed to the first bullet point in Sessions’ letter, raising “serious questions” about Washington’s legal system. Sessions refers to a lack of medical-marijuana regulations leading to a growth in the black market for pot.
But Sessions’ concerns come from an early 2016 law-enforcement report before the state merged a largely unregulated medical system with its strictly regulated recreational system, Ferguson said.
“Do your homework, get good information,” he said in panning Sessions’ letter and pledging to uphold the state’s pot law, which allows adults to possess small amounts.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sessions-raises-concerns-over-washingtons-marijuana-legalization/
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