Tipsheet

Sean Spicer Says DOJ Will Take Action Against States With Legal Recreational Marijuana

After White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday that the Department of Justice will be "taking action" against the eleven states (plus the District of Columbia) that have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Previously, the Obama administration had instructed the DOJ to not go after these states provided they were not breaking any state laws--such as selling to a minor.

During the campaign, President Trump said that he thought medical marijuana should be legal for those who need it, and thought that recreational marijuana legalization should be on a state-by-state basis.

Vast majorities of the American public support legalization of some form of cannabis, and more than half of adults admit to trying marijuana at some point. Both red states and blue states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Given these facts, it seems odd that the new administration would be making this a priority.