According to
The Denver Post, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions
last week in Washington, D.C. to discuss the new administration’s
federal policies on marijuana – and how it plans to enforce them.
Citing Colorado’s regulatory scheme, Hickenlooper reportedly told
the new AG that he believed his state had implemented a “good system,”
and he noted certain measures the state has taken to combat concerns arising
from legalization, such as increases in teen use and hospital visits.
After the meeting, Doug Friednash, the governor’s chief of staff, told
The Denver Post that marijuana enforcement was not currently a priority for Sessions.
Rather, the new AG’s focus remained on issues such as border security
and control.
Friednash also stated that Sessions’ office was currently reviewing
the Cole memo (named after Sessions’ predecessor, who issued it),
which directs federal law enforcement officials in states that have legalized
marijuana to abstain from prosecuting businesses and individuals in full
compliance with their state’s laws. In his recap of Hickenlooper’s
meeting with Sessions, Friednash stated that Sessions felt the Cole memo
was “not too far from good policy.”
However, the conversation is no guarantee of security for those in the
cannabis industry. Sessions is on the record as opposing all forms of
marijuana use, including
medical, and he stated publicly last year that “good people don’t
smoke marijuana.” In addition, President Trump’s stance on
state-level cannabis legalization has remained both unclear and inconsistent.
Finally, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s comments a few
months ago only add to the confusion, as he indicated that the Federal
Government would prioritize shutting down recreational marijuana operations
over medical ones.
Hickenlooper’s meeting may ultimately prove to be an unreliable indicator
of what’s next for the marijuana industry under Sessions, but the
fact that Friednash described it as “amicable” provides some
reassurances, especially for Coloradans in the industry. Regardless, though,
the new administration does seem to be echoing one Obama-implemented policy,
and it’s one that should not be taken lightly: for marijuana businesses,
remaining compliant with state laws matters.
Charles Feldman is the cannabis practice group team leader for MJ Business
Attorneys. For assistance or advice in managing the upcoming changes to
federal marijuana policy,
please contact him and MJBusinessAttorneys.com