Regional Interests

AG Jeff Sessions Wants To Block Laws Protecting Marijuana Users

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Kristian Foden-Vencil

Published June 13, 2017 at 12:45 PM PDT

<p>State and local authorities slap up to 20 percent tax on recreational sales, while they don't add a thing to medicinal sales. Some say that means the state is concentrating on recreational marijuana to the detriment of medicinal sales.</p> — State and local authorities slap up to 20 percent tax on recreational sales, while they don't add a thing to medicinal sales. Some say that means the state is concentrating on recreational marijuana to the detriment of medicinal sales.

Oregon’s Congressional delegation is reacting to news Tuesday that the U.S. Attorney General wants to reverse laws protecting states with legalized marijuana.

The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment blocks the Justice Department from stopping states that want to implement marijuana business laws.

In a letter recently made public, Attorney General Jeff Sessions asks Congressional leaders to reverse the amendment, saying drug traffickers are operating with the protection of state marijuana laws.

At a recent meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General, Sessions said he was dubious about marijuana. "States can pass whatever laws they choose. But I’m not sure we’re going to be a better, healthier nation if we have marijuana being sold at every corner grocery store.”

Oregon’s senior Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden lambasted Sessions, saying he only values states’ rights when he thinks the state is right. "Any attempt to waste taxpayer dollars by going after law-abiding citizens would run contrary to the science on marijuana, not to mention basic common sense,” Wyden said.