This move by Sessions gave federal prosecutors wider discretion in
enforcing federal drug law, but was ultimately aimed at slowing investment in the pot industry, which is exactly what is happening.
Instead Sessions will allow federal prosecutors in areas where the substance is legal to decide how aggressively to
enforce federal drug laws, two sources with knowledge of the matter told the AP ahead of a formal announcement expected Thursday.
Federal prosecutors will regain the power to decide how aggressively to
enforce federal drug laws.
Not exact matches
Sessions» marijuana policy will direct
federal prosecutors to
enforce federal laws against the
drug, even in states where voters and lawmakers have legalized recreational or medical use.
Instead, Sessions said it would be up to
federal prosecutors in states where the
drug is legal to decide how aggressively to
enforce the
law.
Also on Thursday, Quinnipiac University released a new poll showing that 71 % of American voters — including 55 % of Republican voters — say they oppose the government
enforcing federal laws banning marijuana in states that have already legalized the
drug for either medical or recreational purposes.
And because individual states could still prohibit marijuana locally, Booker's bill would also incentivize states to change their marijuana
laws by withholding
federal funding from any states that have
enforced laws against the
drug in ways that disproportionately affect low - income citizens and people of color.
In essence, Holder and others at the Justice Department said they would not
enforce federal drug regulation
laws when it comes to marijuana - related transactions in states that authorize and closely regulate cannabis sales.
The
federal government could, however, decide to resume
enforcing these
laws any time it wanted to and the states would have little - to - no recourse to stop it from doing so, other than attempting to argue in court that
federal drug laws aren't authorized under the Constitution in the first place.
On a
federal level, pet food labels are primarily regulated by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), which
enforces federal laws pertaining to pet food labels.
While the severity of these charges depend on the classification of the
drugs involved, state and
federal narcotics
laws are vigorously
enforced in Arizona.
The impetus for Price's series and his underlying article («Enforcement Discretion and Executive Duty «-RRB- comes from several recent American episodes, such as President Obama's decision not to
enforce certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act (see e.g. here), the policy not to pursue certain breaches of
federal drug laws and the policy not to seek minimum sentences for some
drug offences.