Lawmakers Asks Feds To Respect Pot Legalization Initiatives

A little federalism from the federal government, if you will

On Friday, Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office announced the introduction of the Respect States' and Citizens' Rights Act, a bill intended to ensure that federal marijuana laws don't exempt the Colorado voter-approved Amendment 64 and a similar measure in Washington state. DeGette's also signed a letter with seventeen fellow legislators asking the Justice Department to respect pot laws in the two states. See the letter and get more details below.

Co-sponsors of the DeGette measure include Oregon's Earl Blumenauer, Tennessee's Steve Cohen and California's Sam Farr, as well as two colleagues from Colorado—Jared Polis, a longtime supporter of marijuana reform, and, more surprisingly, Mike Coffman, a Republican who opposed the passage of Amendment 64.

"I voted against Amendment 64," he confirmed in a statement, "and I strongly oppose the legalization of marijuana, but I also have an obligation to respect the will of the voters given the passage of this initiative, and so I feel obligated to support this legislation."