New attorney general Loretta Lynch is personally opposed to marijuana, but like her predecessor Eric Holder, she thinks it’s rational to let states decide policies for themselves without federal interference.
Back in February, Lynch came out hard against legalization, telling the Senate Committee on the Judiciary that “not only do I not support the legalization of marijuana, it is not the position of the Department of Justice currently to support the legalization. Nor would it be the position should I become confirmed as attorney general.” Lynch says she never smoked marijuana and does not believe it is less dangerous than alcohol.
Responding to Obama’s claim that it isn’t as dangerous as alcohol, Lynch said “I certainly think that the president was speaking from his personal experience and personal opinion, neither of which I’m able to share.”
While marijuana advocates at the time were worried, others pointed out that she was testifying in front of Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican staunchly opposed to the marijuana legalization in the states.
Colorado would be hardest hit by any serious federal involvement, as the state generated an estimated $760 million of marijuana sales in 2014. For 2015, that number could climb up to $1 billion dollars.
Moreover, while her statements earlier this year might not bode well for federal legalization, she did say that the memorandum issued by Eric Holder Jr. in August 2013 is “effective, consistent, and rational” in dealing with public health issues. This indicates that she will not employ federal resources to thwart states from setting their own policies regarding the drug.
Eric Holder Jr. consistently refused to move forward with marijuana legalization on the federal level, and it looks like Lynch will follow in his footsteps. The difference between the two is that in his last months in office, Holder seemed to question why marijuana should be placed in the same category as heroin. Lynch does not appear to be interested in that same questioning process—at least presently.
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