Federal law enforcement officials in 2025 charged fewer than 400 people with marijuana trafficking, the lowest total ever.
Tag: Federal
“The more familiar people are with the use of cannabis, either by their own personal experience or by observing the experience of others, the more they favor its legalization. It’s high time for federal lawmakers to acknowledge this public consensus and advance efforts to repeal America’s outdated and unpopular marijuana criminalization laws.”
“While we welcome any easing of federal policies that target and discriminate against cannabis consumers, this particular policy shift appears to be largely opportunistic and not in any way reflective of a broader shift in the federal government’s stance toward those who consume marijuana responsibly.”
“Voters made their mandate clear in 2024, and now Nebraskans have been left vulnerable because their leaders refuse to respect it.”
The ATF acknowledges that a change in the federal ban is necessary because there exists a “disconnect” between how federal agencies and the appellate courts are currently interpreting the law.
“While such a move potentially provides some benefits to patients, and veterans especially, it still falls well short of the changes necessary to bring federal marijuana policy into the 21st century.”
NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano called the Justice Department’s policy change “inappropriate and misguided. … Most Americans say that consuming cannabis should no longer be a crime; they certainly don’t want federal resources directed toward these misplaced priorities.”
Nearly 90 percent of US adults believe that cannabis should be legal for either medical or adult-use purposes.