The Trump administration won’t be giving Americans who possess personal amounts of cannabis a free pass, apparently directing U.S. district attorneys’ offices to enforce federal prohibition laws.
At least that’s according to Darin Smith, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming, who said on Nov. 13 that his office notified federal law enforcement agencies in his jurisdiction to start “rigorously” prosecuting cannabis offenses occurring on federal land, such as national parks.
Smith’s office indicated this policy change resulted from a Sept. 29 memo from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which he said rescinded Biden-era “guidance” of taking a hands-off approach to simple cannabis possession offenses.
Although Biden became the first president to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of cannabis, his administration never provided guidance to U.S. federal prosecutors related to the issue – at least not publicly.
Smith indicated that Trump’s DOJ put the power back in his other U.S. attorneys’ hands.