The governors of Alaska and Washington responded to the letters sent by Attorney General Jeff Sessions which questioned the competence of their social cannabis programs.

The governors of Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington each received letters from Sessions which referred to state data depicting serious public health and safety issues from medical cannabis legislation.

Alaska and Washington officials noted the data Sessions utilized for discussions of their cannabis industries were dated and incomplete.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker and Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth responded in a letter which stated the older data cannot be attributed to the social cannabis industry when sales did not begin until 2016.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson responded to reports in early August in a letter which stated Sessions failed to distinguish the difference between illegal cannabis activity and the regulated market. By confusing the two, Sessions implied state-legal cannabis was responsible.

Alaska and Washington officials both agreed state and federal prohibition of cannabis failed to prevent widespread use, and the exercise of traditional police powers should be left to individual states.

“We ask that the DOJ maintain its existing cannabis policies because the State relied on those assurances in shaping our regulatory framework, and because existing policies appropriately focus federal efforts on federal interests.”

Gov. Inslee and AG Furguson renewed a request to meet with Sessions to discuss other factual disagreements.