US AG William Barr Approves Of STATES Act To Current Situation
He called the current system ‘intolerable’
On Wednesday during a Senate appropriations hearing, current US Attorney General William Barr clearly stated his personal opinion regarding the actions of Congress with the STATES Act.
The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States, or STATES Act, is meant to allow individual states to operate their own cannabis programs with the blessing from the feds through an exception to the Federal Controlled Substances Act.
This doesn’t mean William Barr is pro-cannabis. He specifically said “Personally, I would still favor one uniform federal rule against marijuana,” but he did relent that the current situation is untenable. “…If there is not sufficient consensus to obtain that, then I think the way to go is to permit a more federal approach so states can make their own decisions within the framework of the federal law and so we’re not just ignoring the enforcement of federal law.”
William Barr said that the STATES Act was currently being circulated through the Justice Department for comment, and while he himself hasn’t seen it he mentioned, “Once we get those comments, we’ll be able to work with you on any concerns about the STATES law, but I would much rather that approach—the approach taken by the STATES Act—than where we currently are.”
You can watch Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a Co-Sponsor of the STATES Act, ask William Barr about cannabis shortly after the 1:12:10 mark, and then watch Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) ask him at 1:55:30 mark in regards to the Cole Memo and DOJ guidance.
You can watch the entire exchange here –
https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/watch?hearingid=F390730E-5056-A066-6069-C62F3C93A1D0
