The Case for a Pro Cannabis Attorney General Explained
November 25, 2020
Now that the election is over and the dust has settled, we can be sure of two things: (1) cannabis was the real election night winner, and (2) Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.
After the widespread success of cannabis legalization ballot measures on election night, cannabis advocates now have a new focus: Biden's Cabinet.
Serving as the President's advisory board, the Cabinet consists of the Vice President and 15 executive department heads. Biden has already begun announcing his selections, making key diplomatic, national security and economic nominations, and those choices could have a profound and far-reaching influence in shaping the cannabis policy landscape.
One position of particular relevance to the cannabis industry is the Attorney General. NORML, a national legalization advocacy group, wrote an open letter to President-elect Joe Biden demanding he appoints an Attorney General that will respect state-level cannabis laws, acknowledge the failures of cannabis criminalization, and work to end prohibition.
So what exactly does the Attorney General do, and why do cannabis advocates care who occupies this powerful appointed position?