New SAM report, asserting legalization states "​have ​not ​fulfilled ​the ​requirements ​of ​the ​Cole Memo," urges federal law enforcement to target big players in marijuana industry

Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the leading public policy group advocating against most state-level marijuana reforms, has released today this new  report titled "The​ ​Cole​ ​Memo:​ ​4​ ​Years​ ​Later: Status Report on State Compliance of Federal Marijuana Enforcement Policy." Here are parts of this SAM report's introduction and conclusion:

On ​August ​29, ​2013, ​the ​U.S. ​Department ​of ​Justice ​(DOJ) ​issued ​guidelines ​to ​Federal prosecutors ​and ​law ​enforcement ​officials ​regarding ​where ​to ​focus ​their ​drug ​enforcement efforts ​in ​states ​that ​have ​passed ​laws ​legalizing ​the ​retail ​sales ​of ​marijuana. ​The ​so-called “Cole ​Memo” ​directs ​enforcement ​officials ​to ​focus ​resources, ​including ​prosecutions, ​“on persons ​and ​organizations ​whose ​conduct ​interferes ​with ​any ​one ​or ​more ​of ​[eight] ​priorities, regardless ​of ​state ​law.”...

According ​to ​the ​Department ​of ​Justice, ​the ​Federal ​“hands-off” ​approach ​to ​marijuana enforcement ​enumerated ​in ​the ​Cole ​Memo ​is ​contingent ​on ​its ​expectation ​that ​“states ​and local ​governments ​that ​have ​enacted ​laws ​authorizing ​marijuana-related ​conduct ​will ​implement strong ​and ​effective ​regulatory ​and ​enforcement ​systems ​that ​will ​address ​the ​threat ​those state ​laws ​could ​pose ​to ​public ​safety, ​public ​health, ​and ​other ​law ​enforcement ​interests. ​A system ​adequate ​to ​that ​task ​must ​not ​only ​contain ​robust ​controls ​and ​procedures ​on ​paper, ​it must ​also ​be ​effective ​in ​practice.”

Unfortunately, ​since ​Colorado ​and ​Washington ​became ​the ​first ​states ​to ​legalize ​the recreational ​sale ​of ​marijuana ​in ​2012, ​evidence ​has ​emerged ​that ​regulations ​intended ​to control ​the ​sale ​and ​use ​of ​marijuana ​have ​failed ​to ​meet ​the ​promises ​made ​by ​advocates ​for legalization. ​For ​example, ​states ​with ​legal ​marijuana ​are ​seeing ​an ​increase ​in drugged ​driving crashes ​and youth ​marijuana ​use. ​States ​that ​have ​legalized ​marijuana ​are ​also failing ​to ​shore up ​state ​budget ​shortfalls ​with ​marijuana ​taxes, ​continuing ​to ​see ​a ​thriving ​illegal black ​market, and ​are ​experiencing ​an unabated ​sales ​of ​alcohol, ​despite ​campaign ​promises ​from ​advocates promising ​that ​marijuana ​would ​be ​used ​as ​a ​“safer” ​alternative ​instead.

Moreover, ​state ​regulatory ​frameworks ​established ​post-legalization ​have ​failed ​to ​meet ​each ​of the ​specific ​DOJ ​requirements ​on ​controlling ​recreational ​marijuana ​production, ​distribution, ​and use. ​While ​long-term ​studies ​and ​research ​on ​the ​public ​health ​and ​safety ​impacts ​of ​marijuana legalization ​are ​ongoing, ​this ​report ​provides ​a ​partial ​census ​of ​readily ​available ​information that ​demonstrates ​how ​Colorado, ​Oregon, ​and ​Washington ​State ​- ​the ​jurisdictions ​with ​the most ​mature ​regulatory ​markets ​and ​schemes ​- ​have ​not ​fulfilled ​the ​requirements ​of ​the ​Cole Memo....

Federal ​resources ​should ​target ​the ​big ​players ​in ​the ​marijuana ​industry. ​Individual ​marijuana users ​should ​not ​be ​targeted ​or ​arrested, ​but ​large-scale ​marijuana ​businesses, ​several ​of ​which now ​boast ​of ​having ​raised ​over ​$100 ​million ​in ​capital, ​and ​their ​financial ​backers, ​should ​be ​a priority. ​These ​large ​businesses ​are ​pocketing ​millions ​by ​flouting ​federal ​law, ​deceiving Americans ​about ​the ​risks ​of ​their ​products, ​and ​targeting ​the ​most ​vulnerable. ​They ​should ​not have ​access ​to ​banks, ​where ​their ​financial ​prowess ​would ​be ​expanded ​significantly, ​nor should ​they ​be ​able ​to ​advertise ​or ​commercialize ​marijuana....

These ​large ​marijuana ​operations, ​which ​combine ​the ​tactics ​of ​Big ​Tobacco ​with ​black marketeering, ​should ​form ​the ​focus ​of ​federal ​law ​enforcement, ​not ​individual ​users. ​At ​the same ​time, ​the ​federal ​government ​along ​with ​non-government ​partners ​should ​implement ​a strong, ​evidence-based ​marijuana ​information ​campaign, ​similar ​to ​the truth® ​campaign ​for tobacco, ​which ​alerts ​all ​Americans ​about ​the ​harms ​of ​marijuana ​and ​the ​deceitful ​practices ​of the ​marijuana ​industry.