US attorney general weighs rollback of cannabis legalization
February 28, 2017
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions promised to pursue his tough stance on cannabis in a statement to the press on Monday, though he stopped short of saying he would enforce federal law over state laws where recreational use has been legalized.
"Most of you probably know I don't think America is going to be a better place when more people of all ages and particularly young people start smoking pot," he told reporters, according to Politico.
Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department decided not to prosecute states like Washington and Colorado for legalizing recreational consumption of cannabis in violation of federal law. Sessions said that under his leadership, the department would be reviewing this policy.
"Experts are telling me there's more violence around marijuana than one would think," Sessions said, despite a vast body of studies that have found no like between cannabis legalization and violent crime.
"States, they can pass the laws they chose," he said, but "it does remain a violation of federal law to distribute marijuana."
Eight states and the District of Colombia have laws allowing the possession of small amounts of cannabis for recreational purposes. Although there has not been an increase in violent crime, some states that neighbor Colorado have complained that cannabis cultivated there is being illegally brought outside of its borders. Nebraska unsuccessfully tried to sue Colorado over the matter, but the case was dismissed by the US Supreme Court.