DENVER — A joint letter from Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and the state's top law enforcer in Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is on its way to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' desk.
The five-page document, first reported upon by Denver7's partners at the Denver Post via The Cannabist, turns the table on claims made by Sessions in his initial response to a letter from four governors of states where marijuana was first legalized.
According to both Hickenlooper and Coffman, Colorado's regulatory model is robust, and stands as a model for other states that are regulating the drug, along with other nations which are doing the same.
In the letter, the duo responded to each of Sessions' claims that backed up why he said marijuana laws should be enforced stringently. They addressed preventing marijuana use by minors, marijuana traveling outside Colorado, motor vehicle fatalities, trips to the emergency room and future collaboration between states and the feds.
"We take seriously our duty to create a robust marijuana regulatory and enforcement system," the letter reads. "Our agencies have consulted with countless jurisdictions around the world as they work to construct a comprehensive and effective regulatory framework. We stand ready to work with our federal partners to fortify what we have built. We are confident that if we work together, we can maintain a responsible regulatory and enforcement model that protects public safety, public health and other law enforcement interests."
The letter reads as an outreached hand as states probe the federal government on how their marijuana industries will be impacted by increased enforcement or new rules and regulations.
"We believe the objectives underlying our regulatory and enforcement system are aligned with the federal government's desire to control the production and sale of marijuana and to protect public safety and public health," the letter read. "We are committed to working with you to strengthen our system and are prepared to continue engaging in collaborative enforcement efforts."
Check out the entire letter by tapping this link.