The California Assembly votes to become a «marijuana sanctuary».»

The California legislature has passed a bill aimed at prohibiting California law enforcement officers from interfering with cannabis laws, and specifically from assisting federal law enforcement agencies in enforcing federal law, which still prohibits cannabis. This measure is intended to protect cannabis users from being detained or arrested by local or state police in California at the direction of a federal agency for possession of cannabis, whether for recreational or medical purposes.

California has legalized recreational cannabis last November. This bill also aims to protect citizens when they purchase cannabis at a licensed dispensary.

However, the bill must still be approved by the Senate and its Public Safety Committee before Governor Jerry Brown can sign it into law. The legislation appears to have generated a great deal of enthusiasm in California.

Diane Goldstein, a member of the board of directors of the nonprofit organization’s decriminalization group Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) stated: «The California Department of Justice has more important matters to attend to than responsible adults who use cannabis, especially in a state that has been able to legalize and regulate it.» She also added that ’a majority of American citizens, even those who voted for Donald Trump, do not want the federal government to oppose cannabis laws.«.

This bill, introduced by Los Angeles Democratic Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, could, however, face uncertainty under President Donald Trump’s administration. Jeff Sessions and the Trump administration continue to threaten to undermine the recreational industry that has sprung up around cannabis, even though they will face significant challenges in overriding state laws.

Mehdi Bautier