Press Releases

BOTHELL – Today, Attorney General Eric Holder informed the governors of Washington and Colorado that the Department of Justice would allow implementation of these states’ ballot measures that legalized the adult use of small amounts of marijuana. In response to this announcement, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement by the Attorney General is good news for Washington residents, who overwhelmingly voted to approve I-502 last November. I am pleased that Attorney General Holder has determined the Justice Department’s enforcement policy in response to the passage of I-502 and that implementation can now move forward.

“The guidance from the Department of Justice makes clear that federal resources should not be used to prosecute the personal or medicinal use of marijuana in states that have made it legal. I strongly believe that state laws like I-502 should be respected, and in June, I joined with several of my Washington state colleagues in writing to Attorney General Holder to request that the Department of Justice assure our citizens that they will not be penalized by the federal government for activities considered legal under state law.

“As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to monitor the implementation of I-502 and its impact on federal drug control policy. I want to thank Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy for scheduling a hearing next month on the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws, and I urge the House Judiciary Committee to consider convening a hearing on this topic in the coming months as well.”