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DC 20510

February 12,2013

The Honorable Thad Cochran The Honorable Patrick Leahy

Chairman Vice Chairman

U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Cochran and Vice Chairman Leahy:

As you work to ?nalize ?scal year 2018 appropriations, we respectfully request that the Committee
continue to respect states? laws regarding the regulation of marijuana.

As you know, for the last several years, states have changed their regulatory regimes governing
marijuana. What began with relatively isolated experiments has spread across the country as citizens
have expressed their will through the democratic process. Today, the vast majority of states - 29 in
all have some form of reduced restrictions on marijuana. Other states have proposals to do the
same.

These states crafted serious, thoughtful regulatory regimes. Recognizing that comprehensive state
rules enable federal law enforcement to prioritize its scarce resources to protect federal interests by
encouraging state and private actors to operate within the state regimes, the Department of Justice
issued a series of guidance memoranda over several years. As a result, our citizens have relied on
this agreed federal-state framework to establish legitimate businesses that bring needed medical relief
and help shut down dangerous black market activity.

On January 4, the Attorney General, without forewarning or an opportunity for legislative action,
rescinded years of guidance, creating disruption, confusion, and uncertainty throughout the country.
Citizens who have been acting in good faith based on federal and state assurances now feel exposed.
This disruption may deny medications to the sick, push individuals back into illicit markets, and
nullify the previously-effective regulations all while thwarting the democratically-expressed will of
the states.

It is our hope that the ?scal year 2018 appropriations will alleviate the turbulence the Attorney
General?s abrupt decision has caused and that the appropriations will help preserve the strong
regulatory frameworks the states have created. Doing so will provide the opportunity to pursue
federal legislation that both protects the legitimate federal interests at stake and respects the will of
the states both those that have liberalized their marijuana laws and those that have not.

We ask that the Appropriations Committee work with us to craft the precise language that will
preserve state laws regarding marijuana regulation until we can establish a longer-term framework.

Thank you for your consideration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,
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Cory GardneL Michael F. Bennet
United States Senator United States Senator

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Dan Sullivan ory A. Booker
United States Senator United States Senator
Rand Paul Hirono
United States Senator United States Senator
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United States Senator

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United States Senator United States Senatgf

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Heidi Heitkamp Catherine oil-fez Masto 
United States Senator United States Senator

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Benjamin L. Cardin Maria Cantwell

United States Senator United States Senator

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Uzmala D. Harris Eliz eth Warren
United States Senator Unit States Senator


Tim Kaine EdwardJ 

United States Senator United States Senator