Officials in legal pot state vow to fight federal crackdown
WASHINGTON — Officials in Washington state, where recreational marijuana is legal, vow to fight any federal crackdown on the nascent industry after White House spokesman Sean Spicer said they should expect to see stepped-up enforcement of anti-pot laws.
Bob Ferguson, attorney general in Washington state, which joined Colorado in 2012 as the first states to legalize recreational use of the drug, said he requested a meeting last week with Attorney General Jeff Sessions about his approach to legal, regulated marijuana.
“We will resist any efforts to thwart the will of the voters in Washington,” Ferguson said Thursday.
The comments came shortly after Spicer offered the Trump administration’s strongest indication to date of a looming crackdown on recreational pot, saying “I do believe you’ll see greater enforcement” of federal law. But, speaking in response to a question at a news conference, he offered no details about what such enforcement would entail.