Massachusetts cannabis industry leaders are currently drafting legislation that would prohibit state and municipal employees from cooperating with federal investigators intending to prosecute legally-operating marijuana businesses under state law.
The bill, titled “The Refusal of Complicity Act,” is being written in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recent statement revoking the Cole memo, an Obama-era policy that barred federal intervention in the state-wide legalization of marijuana, said Jim Borghesani, the Massachusetts spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project.
Following Sessions’ action, Massachusetts District Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a statement he could not guarantee the immunity of cannabis businesses from federal prosecution.
The bill has not yet been released, but its main clause will ensure Massachusetts maintains its solidarity in curbing federal intervention in legal cannabis commerce, Borghesani said. If state or local employees cooperate with federal investigators, they will be subject to a lawsuit under this bill.
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