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Washington and Alaska Fire Back at Attorney General Jeff Sessions

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The states of Washington and Alaska have made it clear that they will not be bullied by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions when it comes to the right to regulate cannabis. Both the Governors and Attorney Generals of Washington and Alaska fired back after received veiled threats from Jeff Sessions in the form of a letter.

On July 24, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a letter addressed to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Robert Ferguson indicating an impending crackdown. “Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a crime,” Jeff Sessions wrote. “The Department remains committed to enforcing the Controlled Substances Act in a manner that efficiently applies our resources to address the most significant threats to public health and safety.”

But the Washington Governor and Attorney General weren’t buying any of it. Tom Angell of MassRoots first uncovered the official response. “Your letter, citing the March 2016 Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NW HIDTA) report on marijuana in Washington,” Gov. Inslee and Ferguson wrote, “makes a number of allegations that are outdated, incorrect, or based on incomplete information.”

And they weren’t finished—Sessions was called out for his inability to compromise. “We have twice requested an in-person meeting with you because we believe it will lead to better understanding than exchanging letters,” the response letter continued. “If we can engage in a more direct dialogue, we might avoid this sort of miscommunication and make progress on the issues that are important to both of us.”

The Governor and Attorney General requested information on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) intends on following the advice of its Task Force on Crime Reduction and Safety—to continue to allow states to enact their own cannabis laws. They also asked about whether the DOJ would support a reasonable solution to the cash-only crisis of the cannabis industry and allow research.

In addition, HuffPost obtained two letters dated August 1 and August 14 by Alaskan Gov. Bill Walker and Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth, with a similar declaration of independence from Sessions and the DOJ. In Alaska’s case, Sessions used the “2015 Annual Drug Report” which came from Alaska State Troopers to support the threatening letter, also dated July 24. Angell applauded the brave responses from both Alaska and Washington.

It’s unclear what will happen next, but a number of states have made it clear that they don’t plan on cooperating with the DOJ if the plan is to ignore voter-approved state cannabis laws.

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