Texas incipient medical marijuana industry may be snuffed out by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to begin enforcing federal laws in states where marijuana use has been legalized, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Heather Fazio, who heads the Texas Marijuana Policy Project, says any sort of federal pressure would strip effective medical care away from the limited number of seizure patients who are eligible to receive marijuana treatment under the law passed in the 2015 Legislature.
"Even this program could be in jeopardy if the Department of Justice chooses to start prosecuting patients and providers in states that have changed their laws," Fazio told News Radio 1200 WOAI's Michael Board.
Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, but the Obama Administration instituted a policy to ignore that law in states where marijuana has been legalized. In Texas, marijuana use is legal only for a small subset of patients who suffer from certain seizure disorders for which pot is approved.
Fazio says conservatives, who claim to support 'states rights,' need to stand up and speak out against this clear violation of the rights of states to decide what is best for their residents.
"Even our conservative Senator Ted Cruz has said this is a state's rights issue," she said.
Under federal law, the DEA has the authority to arrest legal users of marijuana, as well as the dispensaries which have been carefully vetted and have followed very strict guidelines approved as part of the Texas medical marijuana statute.
"It is disappointing that he is disregarding the recommendations of his own Department of Justice task force, the President's own position on the issue, and the will of the American people," Fazio said.