Chronicle AM: CO Gov Says Sessions Chat Eases Pot Crackdown Fears, More... (4/28/17)

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says a meeting with AG Sessions has eased his fears of a marijuana crackdown, but the state legislature is moving ahead anyway with a bill to block cops from helping the feds; Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan orders a study of racial disadvantage in the state's medical marijuana system, and more.

Jeff Sessions may hate weed, but Colorado's governor says he's less concerned about a crackdown after chatting with him.

Colorado Governor Less Concerned About Pot Crackdown After Meeting With Sessions. After meeting with Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week, Gov. John Hickenlooper is less worried about a federal crackdown on legal marijuana. The governor said Sessions reiterated his dislike for marijuana, but hinted the department is more interested in going after more dangerous drugs. "He's got his hands full with things -- heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine -- other things are even more significant. But doesn't mean that he feels in any way that he should be cutting any slack to marijuana," Hickenlooper said. "And he certainly was very direct and clearly said they've got a lot of priorities," the governor continued. "And, at one point, he said, 'Well you haven't seen us cracking down, have you?' I interpreted that as he's got his hands full," Hickenlooper added.

Colorado House Approves Bill to Bar Cops From Helping With Fed Pot Crackdown. The House voted 56-7 on Wednesday to approve a bill that would prohibit law enforcement officers from aiding in a potential federal marijuana crackdown. The bill doesn't specifically mention marijuana, but bars public employees from "arresting a Colorado citizen for committing an act that is a Colorado constitutional right." The bill now goes to the Senate.

Maryland Governor Orders Study on Minority Participation in Marijuana Industry. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Thursday ordered a study of whether minorities face a disadvantage when trying to participate in the state's nascent marijuana industry. Such a study would be a prerequisite for giving preferences to blacks and other minorities when awarding licenses to grow, process, or sell the herb.

Washington Governor Signs Marijuana, Hemp Bills. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Thursday signed into three bills having to do with marijuana. One bill subjects marijuana edibles to the same oversight as other food products, a second bill gives pot shops the ability to give away "lock boxes" for people to keep their stashes safe from kids, and the third bill legalizes industrial hemp in the state.

Medical Marijuana

Arkansas Regulators Give Final Approval for Proposed Medical Marijuana Rules. The state's Board of Health on Thursday gave final approval for rules governing who gets to grow and sell medical marijuana. But the rules must still survive a review by lawmakers, which will study them in a special session beginning next Monday. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment requires the rules to be in place by May 8, or the state will be violating the state constitution.

Vermont Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill Heads for House Floor. The House Human Services Committee on Thursday approved a medical marijuana expansion bill, Senate Bill 16, which adds Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, and PTSD to the list of qualifying condition. The bill has already passed the Senate and now awaits a House floor vote, but differences between what the Senate approved and what the House approved mean a conference committee is likely to reconcile the two measures.

Asset Forfeiture

Pennsylvania Senate Approves Asset Forfeiture Reforms. The Senate voted 39-10 on Wednesday to approve Senate Bill 8, which makes only moderate reforms to the state's asset forfeiture laws. All 10 no votes were cast by Democrats, who said they bill didn't go far enough to fix an abusive system. After lobbying by state prosecutors, lawmakers had removed a provision ending civil asset forfeiture. But the bill does raise the evidentiary standard for forfeiture from "a preponderance of the evidence" to "clear and convincing evidence." The bill now goes to the House.

International

Tunisian Parliament Approves Minor Reform of Harsh Drug Laws. The parliament on Tuesday approved an amendment to the country's harsh drug laws that would give judges discretion when sentencing someone for a first drug offense. Under existing law, anyone caught in possession of any amount of any drug faced a mandatory minimum one-year prison sentence. The government says this move is only temporary, while comprehensive reforms of the drug laws are being studied.