Concerned about a potential crackdown from President Donald Trump’s administration, Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow recreational pot to be reclassified as medical marijuana so that it could not be seized by federal authorities.
The legislation would allow a one-time transfer prompted by a change in law or a shift in federal enforcement policy and drew no debate as it won final approval in the state Senate on a 28-7 vote Wednesday.
The effort comes after the White House against states like Colorado that legalized recreational marijuana consumption and from Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“If Jeff Sessions goes after anything, itap recreational marijuana,” said state Rep. Jonathan Singer, a Longmont Democrat and sponsor of a bill that he calls “the Sessions safeguard.”
Colorado’s strategy is to the new administration’s stance on weed, but where marijuana is legal are taking similar steps to protect their dispensaries and consumers.
Singer said “will hopefully be a model for other states to use.”
State Sen. Tim Neville, a Littleton Republican and bill sponsor, called Colorado’s move “an orderly transfer” that would protect marijuana business owners and help prevent recreational pot from filtering into the black market if Trump administration authorities move aggressively to enforce federal law. The transfer would include the business owner surrendering their retail pot license.
If necessary, however, the move would cost the state millions of dollars in lost revenue because recreational marijuana is taxed at a higher rate than medical.
A included provisions to allow pot shops to offer delivery services, but that part was eliminated after opposition mounted from law enforcement and .
“The state’s probably not ready for it, or at least the governor isn’t ready,” Neville said of the delivery issue, which he expects to return in future legislative sessions.
The bill next moves to the state House, where it is expected to win approval before heading to the governor’s desk ahead of the session’s May 10 adjournment.