William Barr, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, said Tuesday he will not “go after” marijuana companies in states where its use has been legalized.
“To the extent people are complying with the state laws, we are not going to go after that,” he told the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing.
Federal law prohibits the sale and possession of marijuana, but some states have either legalized or decriminalized it.
Mr. Barr urged Congress to create a unified system for handling marijuana, saying the current situations were some state laws run counter to federal is “untenable.”
“We cannot stay in the current situation,” he said. “I think its incumbent on Congress to agree if we have a federal system or not.”
Mr. Barr also said he would not have rescinded the Cole Memo, an Obama-era guidance that prevented federal authorities from cracking down on marijuana in states where it is legal.
The memo was rescinded last year by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“Assessments have been made,” Mr. Barr said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to upset those interests. I think the current situation needs to be addressed. To me, it’s a binary choice.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.