Alaska and Washington push back on Sessions’ marijuana letters

By Alex Pasquariello and Polly Washburn, The Cannabist

The governors of Alaska and Washington are questioning the data cited by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in recent letters he sent to their states regarding the efficacy of their respective marijuana regulatory regimes.

Governors of four Western states that have legalized recreational marijuana — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — each received letters from Sessions dated July 24, responding to a joint letter the governors sent Sessions on April 3. In each letter, Sessions referred to regional and state data depicting serious public health and safety issues arising from marijuana legalization.

The Cannabist has obtained copies of each of the attorney general’s July 24 letters to those states. Late Tuesday, The Cannabist obtained copies of Alaska and Washington’s respective responses to Sessions.

Both states note that the data Sessions utilized when discussing their state’s respective regulatory regimes is out of date and incomplete.

In his…