American Mayors Send Letter to Sessions Criticizing Cannabis Policy Change

Flickr / Kate Ter Haar / CC BY 2.0

The outrage over United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ reversal of federal cannabis policy continues to grow, with a group of American mayors the latest to join the clarion call.

On Jan. 11, 2018, 10 American mayors, led by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, sent a letter to Sessions criticizing his decision to rescind the Obama-era memos that guided federal cannabis policy and U.S. attorneys not to interfere with state-legal marijuana businesses in compliance with state law.

“Reversing course now is a misguided legal overreach and an attack on cities where legal, safe, and highly regulated recreational sale and use occurs, and on the majority of states where the voters have made their voices heard loud and clear on this issue,” the Mayors wrote in their letter.

“With overdose deaths, primarily caused by opioids, at an all-time high throughout this country, the federal government should be a better partner to help combat this epidemic. President Trump and DOJ should not waste our law enforcement resources and taxpayer money on prosecuting legal activity and instead prioritize their efforts on ending the scourge of the opioid crisis,” the mayors added.

In addition to the mayors of Seattle and Denver, the letter was signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York; Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia; Mayor Robert Garcia of Long Beach, California; Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland, Oregon; Mayor Paul Soglin of Madison, Wisconsin; Mayor Jonathan Rothschild of Tucson, Arizona; Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson of Gary, Indiana; and Mayor Pauline Cutter of San Leandro, California.

Caroline Cahill was the Managing Editor of MJINews from June 2014 through February 2018. She earned her BA in Communications from College of Charleston and her MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. You can follow her on Twitter @CtheresaC.

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