Rep. Young wants feds to lay off medical marijuana prosecution

by:  Liz Ruskin – Alaska Public Media

Alaska Congressman Don Young is among 43 U.S. House members asking that Congress prevent the Justice Department from pursuing federal drug cases against people who are complying with their state’s medical marijuana laws.

Young and his colleagues have written the leaders of the subcommittee that writes the Justice Department’s budget. They want the appropriations bill to say that none of the money Congress allocates to the department can be used to prosecute people for using, selling or growing medical marijuana if their conduct is legal under state law.

Congress has included similar language in appropriations bills since 2014. But it might be more controversial this year. The new U.S. attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has long argued that marijuana is a dangerous drug that should not be tolerated.