End federal marijuana prohibition, return responsibility to the states
Federal marijuana prohibition has been nothing short of a grotesque and wasteful failure, which is why we urge President Trump to honor commitments he made last week to support legislation to return responsibility for marijuana policy to the states.
Last week, Sen. Cory Gardner, RColorado, said that Trump personally assured him Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ reversal of Obamaera Justice Department policies limiting federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states that have legalized it won’t impact Colorado’s legal marijuana industry.
In addition, Gardner said Trump indicated he will “support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the president’s stance on Friday afternoon. “We’re always consulting Congress about issues including states’ rights, of which the president is a firm believer,” she said.
If Congress and the White House are able to follow through on this talk, the end of marijuana prohibition, a disgraceful policy that has criminalized and harmed the lives of millions of people, could come soon.
Among those praising the news is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, RCosta Mesa, who since 2014 has successfully inserted an amendment into federal spending bills prohibiting the Justice Department from spending money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws.
“This is a fundamental issue of federalism and freedom, as state after state moves to take marijuana out of the hands of the cartels and place it in a competitive market where consumers can be assured of product safety,” Rohrabacher said Saturday, referencing the Constitution.
It is worth reflecting on the fact that while proponents of alcohol prohibition a century ago had the decency to seek a constitutional amendment to prohibit that particular intoxicant, marijuana has been prohibited on the misguided whims of Congress.
This has always been an issue better left to the states. Toward that end, we urge Congress to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and respect the freedom of states to make their own choices on this issue.
— Los Angeles Daily News,
Digital First Media
This has always been an issue better left to the states. Toward that end, we urge Congress to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and respect the freedom of states to make their own choices on this issue.