Sheriffs Say Marijuana Legalization Should Be Overturned Because It Makes Them Uncomfortable Colorado

September 11, 2017

Today six Colorado sheriffs filed a federal lawsuit that seeks to reverse marijuana legalization in their state, which they say should be overturned because it makes them uncomfortable. Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith and his counterparts in five other countries say Amendment 64, the marijuana legalization measure that is now part of Colorado’s Constitution, has made their jobs harder by creating a conflict between state and federal law.

“When these Colorado Sheriffs encounter marijuana while performing their duties,” their complaint says, “each is placed in the position of having to choose between violating his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and violating his oath to uphold the Colorado Constitution.” This supposed dilemma arises from Smith et al.’s mistaken assumption that they have an obligation to help the federal government enforce its ban on marijuana.

Sheriffs Say Marijuana Legalization Should Be Overturned Because It Makes Them Uncomfortable Colorado