California Lawmakers Want to Make the State a Marijuana Safe Haven

If cities can become sanctuaries for immigrants, why can’t a state be a sanctuary for legal marijuana? That’s what California lawmakers are trying to do.

Assembly Bill 1578 was introduced to ban state police from working with the feds to bust legally operating marijuana businesses, reports The Huffington Post. If passed, local funds could not be used to enforce federal marijuana prohibition. A court order would be required for state and local law enforcement agencies to use local resources, personnel or facilities to conduct federal business.

The legislation reads, in part, that it would ban federal law enforcement to “investigate, detain, report, or arrest any person for commercial or noncommercial marijuana or medical cannabis activity that is authorized by the law in the State of California – and transferring an individual to federal law enforcement authorities for purposes of marijuana enforcement.”

Requests from federal authorities for personal information from any California law enforcement agency regarding marijuana industry licensees’ personal information would be banned.

California Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer leads the sponsorship of the bill. He considers the marijuana industry to be “one of the greatest businesses” in the state.

Dale Grieringer of California NORML said, “This is the equivalent of noncooperation on deportation and environmental laws – part of the larger California resistance to federal intrusion.”