According to a National Law Review report on the Feb. 2 summit held in Oregon for law enforcement officials and cannabis industry representatives to discuss federal cannabis policy following Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recent policy changes, “none of the U.S. Attorneys in attendance expressed an interest in cracking down on the industry as a whole.”
However, law enforcement officials did blame industry overproduction for an increase in cannabis seizures, and Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy Williams indicated they were “prepared to do something.”
Williams had announced the summit in a Jan. 14 op-ed in the Oregonian, where he also laid out the case for the state’s “massive overproduction problem” that has resulted in 2,644 pounds of cannabis and $1.2 million in illicit cannabis cash seized by Oregon postal agents headed out-of-state.
“Attorney Williams has assured my team that lawful Oregon businesses remain valued stakeholders in this conversation and not targets of law enforcement.” – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown at the summit via the National Law Review
What were the takeaways for cannabis industry stakeholders?
“I did not get the feeling …from the United State attorneys that spoke or participated that any of them were intent on shutting down the regulated industries in their state.” – Oregon Cannabis Association Executive Director Amy Margolis to the Law Review
Although the rescinding of the Cole Memo has not led to any crackdowns on the legal cannabis industry yet, the door is open for federal attorneys to target legal businesses they suspect are diverting products into illicit markets both in and out-of-state.
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