Guv’s word to Sessions
Hickenlooper defends Colorado as a marijuana model for other states
Colorado’s marijuana regulatory system is a model for other states, and the fledgling program could become even more robust with the federal government’s support, the state’s governor and top law enforcement officer said in a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
In a five-page missive obtained by The Denver Post, Gov. John Hickenlooper and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman responded to Sessions’ July 24 letter that raised “serious questions” about the state’s ability to regulate legal marijuana and prevent illegal activities.
“The State of Colorado has worked diligently to implement the will of our citizens and build a comprehensive regulatory and enforcement system that prioritizes public safety and public health,” Hickenlooper and Coffman wrote. “When abuses and unintended consequences materialize, the state has acted quickly to address any resulting harms.
“While our system has proven to be effective, we are constantly evaluating and seeking to strengthen our approach to regulation and enforcement.”
Sessions sent letters to the governors of Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington — the first four states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana — in response to a joint letter the four sent Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in early April.
In that initial correspondence, the governors implored the Justice and Treasury departments to maintain existing marijuana enforcement guidelines, adding that an overhaul of the Cole Memo “is sure to produce unintended and harmful consequences.”
Sessions countered that the states’ regulatory systems were not effective in enforcing Cole Memo priorities such as keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors, preventing drugged driving, and stopping marijuana from flowing over state borders.
Colorado was the last of the four states to pen a response to Sessions. However, the trailblazer of legal recreational cannabis’ letter was the most comprehensive.
Between repeated calls for federal partnership, Hickenlooper and Coffman detailed scores of data and examples of how the state responded in four public health and safety priorities: outof-state diversion, underage use, motor vehicle crash fatalities and emergency department visits.
“Colorado’s system has become a model for other states and nations,” they wrote. “Our agencies have consulted with countless jurisdictions around the world as they work to construct a comprehensive and effective regulatory framework.”