In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, 11 Democrats are calling for a hearing by the body to review Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to rescind the cannabis protections of the Cole Memo, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Vice. The Democrats say they are “deeply concerned” by the action which “will promote an inefficient use of limited taxpayer resources and subvert the will of voters” in states with legal cannabis programs.
“Rather than targeting individuals in states that had legalized marijuana and consequently set up complex regulatory systems, [under the Cole Memo] the government focused on priorities that were significant to the federal government. These included preventing gangs and cartels from profiting from marijuana sales and ensuring that state-authorized marijuana was not used to hide other illegal activities.” – Democrats’ letter to Goodlatte
The letter is signed by Democratic representatives from states permitting both medical and recreational cannabis use along with Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents a state that does not allow cannabis use in any form.
On Jan. 24, 52 members of Congress sent a letter directly to President Donald Trump seeking to have the memo reinstated. That letter included signatories from both sides of the aisle.