Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein hinted Tuesday there are changes on the horizon as to how the Justice Department handles marijuana enforcement in states that have legalized use of the drug in some form.
“We follow the law and the science. From a legal and scientific perspective, marijuana it is an unlawful drug,” Mr. Rosenstein said Tuesday during an appearance before a Senate appropriations committee.
But he said there may be future changes to the Obama-era guidance issued by the Justice Department — known as the Cole memo — that limited federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states that had opted to legalize medical or recreational use.
“Jim Cole tried to deal with it in that memorandum. At the moment that memo is still in effort,” Mr. Rosenstein said of the policy. “Maybe there will be changes to it in the future but we are still operating under that policy which is an effort to balance the conflicting interests with regard to marijuana.”
Describing the hurdles legal marijuana businesses face, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, had asked the deputy attorney general to describe where DOJ is headed with regard to marijuana.
Alaska is one of eight states where residents voted to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.
credit:washingtontimes.com
