The U.S. Attorney General has rescinded an Obama Administration policy that made is possible for legal marijuana to become a reality in some states. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports on what that might mean for the state's medical marijuana program, which is set to launch in September.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ new stance will be to allow federal prosecutors in states with marijuana programs to decide how aggressively to enforce federal laws. OSU Moritz College of Law Professor Doug Berman says this action will force politicians to take up the issue.
“It’s my sense there are a number of the Attorney General’s own party, the GOP, that are troubled by the possibility of widespread prosecutions and I think that would be particularly strong and forceful in the context of medical marijuana.”
In a written statement, the Ohio Department of Commerce, which oversees the program, said it’s following guidelines set up in the new law. And it said it won’t speculate about federal decisions.