The Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that they will not take any legal action to stop the marijuana legalization process taking place in Washington and Colorado.
The decision puts to rest a long-running concern among both advocates and opponents of the new recreational marijuana marketplace.
Initiative 502, approved by the voters in 2012, was specifically designed to avoid agitating federal drug laws. The rulemaking by the Liquor Control Board has been conducted under the shadow of federal intervention.
The DOJ stated in their announcement that they would prioritize the enforcement of federal marijuana laws in Washington and Colorado in eight specific areas:
- Preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors
- Prohibiting sales revenue from going to criminal enterprises
- Preventing marijuana being transported to states where it remains illegal
- Eliminating violence in the “cultivation and distribution” of the drug
- Preventing authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover for other illegal drugs
- Preventing driving under the influence or “Green DUI”
- Preventing marijuana from being grown on public lands
- Prohibiting marijuana possession on federal property
Additional information on the announcement can be found in the Associated Press coverage here.
You can also watch Gov. Inslee’s press conference on the topic below.
TVW