Senator Feinstein: Please co-sponsor the STATES Act

The STATES Act (S. 1028/HR. 2093) would protect California and other states from undue federal interference in local marijuana laws.  

Starting with California, forty-seven states have laws permitting marijuana or marijuana-based products, and Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and a number of tribal nations have similar laws. As states began developing their own approaches to marijuana enforcement, the Department of Justice issued guidance to support these state actions and focus law enforcement resources more effectively. However, this guidance was withdrawn in 2018, causing legal uncertainty, threatening public health and safety, and undermining the states’ regulatory regimes.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently co-authored a letter in support of the STATES Act, which has been signed by a bipartisan group of 12 governors.

“The STATES Act is not about whether marijuana should be legal or illegal; it is about respecting the authority of states to act, lead and respond to the evolving needs and attitudes of their citizens,” the letter notes. “Whether a state maintains its prohibition of cannabis or chooses a different path, the STATES Act ensures that the federal government is a partner rather than an impediment – an objective the federal government should always strive to achieve.”


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