FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 4, 2018
On Thursday U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo directing prosecutors to enforce federal laws against marijuana. The memo rescinded the Obama Administration’s policies that generally prevented enforcement in states where medical or recreational marijuana had been legalized.
Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “We are pleased with the federal Justice Department’s decision to enforce our nation’s anti-drug laws. For too long, federal officials have turned a blind eye to so-called ‘medical’ and recreational marijuana in the U.S. That needs to change.”
Cox said he hopes federal prosecutors will help keep marijuana out of Arkansas. “Arkansas’ marijuana amendment gives a handful of businesses a monopoly on marijuana, and it lets practically anyone qualify to use marijuana if they want to. Marijuana is a blight on the community. Arkansas already has a bad enough drug problem as it is. We don’t need stores out here selling marijuana on Main Street. I hope today’s decision will help keep marijuana out of our communities.”
Cox said the memo from the U.S. Attorney General should not come as a surprise to anyone. “Federal law is perfectly clear when it says marijuana is illegal. There is no question about that. Even Arkansas’ medical marijuana amendment admits that marijuana is illegal under federal law. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the federal government would want to enforce its own laws. If people want to legalize marijuana, then they ought to take that up with Congress.”
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