WASHINGTON — Despite threats from Congress, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine says no one will be getting arrested for legalizing marijuana within the District.
“I don’t think Mayor [Muriel] Bowser, nor any member of the council, nor any civil servant member in the District of Columbia who had anything to do with the passage of the responsible Initiative 71 will be locked up, nor should they,” said Racine on NewsChannel 8’s News Talk.
The attorney general explained that the District had enacted a very limited legalization of marijuana.
“What it legalized was the use of marijuana and possession of marijuana in one’s home,” stated Racine. “It would also allow for the growing of marijuana, six plants, three of them can be mature, also in one’s home.”
However, it looked like Congress was going to stop the initiative from becoming law after a letter from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) urged Mayor Bowser to not enact Initiative 71, saying its enactment would violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits using federal money that has not been appropriated.
Racine told NewsChannel 8 members of the District government met with Congressional staff.
“We discussed the letter and certainly we are in cooperation mode with the letter,” explained Racine. “I think that what you are going to see is that this is a disagreement, a reasonable disagreement, as to applicable law. Nothing more and nothing less.”
Racine also added that he believes D.C. is in a position where it can negotiate with Congress in a way that this dispute does not end up going to court.
