President Trump’s nominee to serve as the nation’s next attorney general, William Barr, has pledged that he would not go after marijuana companies that comply with state laws.

Barr has now put that pledge in written form on paper and has also called for the approval of more legal growers of the drug for research.

“As discussed at my hearing, I do not intend to go after parties who have complied with state law in reliance on the Cole Memorandum,” wrote Barr.

“I have not closely considered or determined whether further administrative guidance would be appropriate following the Cole Memorandum and the January 2018 memorandum from Attorney General Sessions, or what such guidance might look like,” he also wrote. “If confirmed, I will give the matter careful consideration.”

“I still believe that the legislative process, rather than administrative guidance, is ultimately the right way to resolve whether and how to legalize marijuana,” he said.

“An approach based solely on executive discretion fails to provide the certainty and predictability that regulated parties deserve and threatens to undermine the rule of law,” Barr also added. “If confirmed, I can commit to working with the Committee and the rest of Congress on these issues, including any specific legislative proposals. As I have said, however, I do not support the wholesale legalization of marijuana.”

“It’s positive to see Barr make the same commitments on marijuana enforcement in writing as he did in the hearings,” remarked Michael Collins, the director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “My hope is that he sends this message to all federal prosecutors so that states are given space to reform their outdated, broken, racist marijuana laws, and the country can turn the page on prohibition.”


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Adult-use Cannabis Legalization in Canada Has Led to Beer Sales Decline
05 March 2024
Consejos de Noelia Custodio para el Apocalipsis: Ruta, Porro, Terror, Risa y Cuidado
26 January 2023
Presenting on the Emerging Growth Conference on March 8 Register Now
07 March 2023