Pot Puts States, Feds at Odds | OAS Episode 28




NCSL Podcasts show

Summary: For the nine states and the District of Columbia that have approved the sale of recreational marijuana, and the 29 states and three territories that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, there is great concern about the federal government’s desire to seek criminal prosecution over the possession of marijuana. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made it known he would like to enforce federal laws that prohibit the possession of marijuana for any purposes. This could be of special concern for the estimated 2.5 million Americans who use the drug for medicinal reasons. Our guests, both experts from the National Conference of State Legislatures, guide us through this issue. Susan Frederick, senior federal affairs counsel at NCSL, walks us through the attorney general’s actions and explains what is at stake for states. Karmen Hansen, a program director in NCSL’s health program, breaks down the statistics on state laws, including how much revenue is being generated and what is on the horizon following the attorney general’s actions. Additional Resources Transcription of Episode 28