STATE GOVERNORS ASK FEDS TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO
Breaking the numbers down by political affiliation tells a slightly different story. In the early 2000s, opposition to marijuana legalization was more or less a bipartisan issue. Only 29 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of Republicans voiced support for legal weed in 2000. Since then, support for legalization among Democrats and independents has risen much faster than among Republicans. In 2016, more than 60 percent of the former two groups supported legal marijuana. Among Republicans support stood at only 40 percent, a gap of more than 20 percentage points between Democrats and independents on the one hand, and Republicans on the other. Moreover, support for legalization among Republicans has leveled off over the past two years, rising just 1 percentage point since 2016. But support among Democrats rose by 3 points, and independents saw an even greater 8-point jump.
you may only be looking at a fine of $100, officials are saying, after an ordinance decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis was passed unanimously by Osceola County commissioners.
Four governors of states where voters have legalized marijuana for recreational use are asking the Trump administration to leave in place an Obama-era agreement that gave exemptions to the legal pot industry. In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the governors asked the Justice Department to maintain a 2013 agreement, known as the Cole Memo, and guidance issued by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The Cole Memo, named for former Deputy Attorney General James Cole, laid out priorities for federal prosecutors in states where marijuana had been legalized for recreational use. The memo advises prosecutors to avoid strict enforcement of federal prohibitions on marijuana, in deference to state law. “Overhauling the Cole Memo is sure to produce unintended and harmful consequences,” the governors wrote. “Changes that hurt the regulated market would divert existing marijuana product into the black market and increase dangerous activity in both our states and our neighboring states.” The letter was signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) and Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I). The FinCEN guidance lays out criteria under which financial institutions can provide services to marijuana-related businesses. Because federal law still considers marijuana a banned substance, many major banks are reluctant or refuse to do business with the marijuana industry. That has led some businesses to operate largely in cash, raising concerns about safety and crime, concerns the FinCEN guidance is meant to alleviate. The Trump administration has offered mixed messages, and no clear guidance, on its plans for marijuana regulation. Sessions is a marijuana hard-liner who once joked he objected to the Ku Klux Klan because they smoked pot. But during the presidential race, Trump said he was inclined to leave marijuana regulation up to the states. Governors in states where marijuana is legal have voiced concern that their states may be subject to federal lawsuits or crackdowns by federal agents. Most governors of states where pot is legal, including Hickenlooper and Inslee, opposed the ballot measures when they came up, though they now say their voters have spoken. Other state officials have said they would consider legal action to defend their laws in case of a federal crackdown. In an interview, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) defended the Cole Memo.
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APRIL/MAY 2017
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