Feds to Indian Tribes: We (Probably) Won't Prosecute You If You Grow Cannabis

[Draggingtree]

Feds to Indian Tribes: We (Probably) Won't Prosecute You If You Grow Cannabis

OCTOBER 1, 2015 Ryan McMaken

With four states and the District of Columbia having declared they're going to legalize recreational cannabis in spite of federal law, some Indian tribes have taken note and begun to explore the possibility of using cannabis as an economic development tool.

 

In the so-called "Cole Memorandum" issued by the feds suggests that tribal lands, should they assert independence in this matter, would be left alone. But at the same time, the feds maintain that nothing about their failure to consistently enforce the federal prohibition "alters the authority or jurisdiction of the United States to enforce federal law in Indian country."

 

In other words, they're saying "we'll leave you alone unless it becomes politically advantageous for us to prosecute you again."

 

This pretty much sums up the federal position in regards to the states, such as Colorado, that have legalized recreational cannabis. The feds reserve the right to crack down on the states at any time.

https://mises.org/blog/feds-indian-tribes-we-probably-wont-prosecute-you-if-you-grow-cannabis