U.S. Justice Department Issues Memo On Enforcing Marijuana Laws

On January 4, 2018, the Department of Justice issued a memo to U.S. attorneys signaling greater focus on enforcing existing federal rules outlawing marijuana cultivation, distribution, and possession, including in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes.

Marijuana was already illegal under federal law, however, the Obama administration encouraged the Justice Department not to enforce the law in states where it is legal under state law. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the “memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all U.S. Attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary . . .