Attorney General Merrick Garland has reiterated that the Department of Justice will not prioritize prosecuting marijuana use, a position that Garland expressed during his confirmation hearings. In remarks in front of a Senate...more
Prior to his Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last week, Judge Merrick Garland had not clarified his views on marijuana policy and how he would approach the issue if confirmed as Attorney General. However, after his...more
After threatening to block any Department of Justice nominations following Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ revocation of the Cole Memorandum, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado said in a statement that President Trump has given...more
On January 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance outlining the federal policy of non-interference with state-run marijuana programs. The Attorney General's actions have rocked the cannabis industry....more
Reuters is reporting today that the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) was caught off guard by Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement last week that the Justice Department was reversing...more
• The marijuana industry that was expected to generate roughly $40 billion in economic impact nationwide by 2021 is at a crossroads given a recent move by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to eliminate certain protections...more
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a one-page memorandum on December 4th, rescinding Obama-era guidance that had allowed states to legalize medical and recreational marijuana with marginal federal interference, eliminating...more
On January 4, 2018, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded, effective immediately, previous enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on marijuana, including the Cole Memo. The move creates uncertainty...more
The U.S. Department of Justice released a memorandum on December 4th, directing all U.S. Attorneys to use their prosecutorial discretion to enforce the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 with respect to the cultivation,...more
Attorney General Sessions rescinded, effective January 4, 2018, previous enforcement priorities of the DOJ related to marijuana – including the Cole Memo. The Sessions Memo dictates that federal prosecutors should follow the...more
The federal government has changed its view about legal marijuana businesses in the States. During President Obama’s terms in office, three memorandums were issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) stating that the federal...more
Three days after retail sales of recreational marijuana became legal in California, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced a new marijuana enforcement policy that calls for rescinding the long-standing, lenient...more
Timed almost to the day that California legalized recreational marijuana, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Thursday, January 4, that the Department of Justice has rescinded the Obama-era guidance (the Cole Memo)...more
As predicted by Politico, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and other sources, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions today rescinded the 2013 Cole Memorandum “Guidance Regarding Marijuana Enforcement,” which has...more
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday rescinded the Cole Memorandum, which had directed the federal justice department to de-prioritize the prosecution of federal marijuana laws in states where the use of marijuana...more
If you have been following recent comments by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in an attempt to predict marijuana policy under the Trump Administration, you might be left scratching your head. In recent comments before...more