White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a briefing Thursday that he expects there will be “greater enforcement” of federal laws regarding recreational marijuana use.
Seven states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana use. Under the Obama administration, the Department of Justice followed a guidance considering recreational marijuana in states where it is legal to be a low priority so long as it met certain criteria, including not being involved with organized criminal activity or being sold to children.
It’s not clear what impact a change in direction about marijuana at the federal level could have on a House bill that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, but would not create a regulated market.
Rep. Chip Conquest, D-Wells River, vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a co-sponsor of H.170, said Spicer’s statement was not very clear.
Rep. Chip Conquest, D-Wells River. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
“It’s actually hard to know how to react because there wasn’t a lot in their statement,” Conquest said.
“I don’t think it changes any of the reasons for why we’ve taken the bill up in the first place,” Conquest said.
Conquest expects the bill will pass out of the committee before cross-over deadline in March.
The House committee is looking at legalizing adult possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, with a civil penalty for amounts slightly larger than that. Adults would also be allowed to cultivate two grown plants and four immature ones. (The bill started with allowing for possession of two ounces.)
Attorney General TJ Donovan said the federal government’s position on marijuana should be taken into account.
“I think we really need to listen before we act,” Donovan said.
Donovan noted that there has not yet been a clear policy from the administration on the issue of recreational marijuana. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump said the issue should be up to individual states. However, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a stronger position against marijuana.
Donovan said Vermont should pay attention to any changes at the federal level.
“So let’s wait for policy, let’s get an understanding of what their policy is, what their strategy will be and how that will impact the state, and let’s make informed decisions based on that,” Donovan said.
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