Mayors Tell Feds to Butt Out on Marijuana Reforms
The United States Conference of Mayors Monday unanimously passed a resolution criticizing the failures of marijuana prohibition and urging the federal government to respect the ability of states and localities to implement medical marijuana and marijuana legalization measures without further interference.
The US Conference of Mayors is the official, nonpartisan organization for mayors of cities with a population of 30,000 or more. There are 1,302 cities that qualify, and each is represented at the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
“In November, voters in my city and state strongly approved a ballot measure to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana,” said Aurora, Colorado, Mayor Steve Hogan. “The bipartisan resolution we passed today simply asks the federal government to give us time to implement these new policies properly and without interference. Cities and states across the country are enacting forward-thinking reforms to failed marijuana prohibition policies, and for the federal government to stand in the way is wasteful and contrary to the wishes of the American people.”