Berkeley, California declared itself a “sanctuary” for recreational marijuana last Tuesday by a unanimous vote of the city council. The adopted resolution, believed to be the first of its kind nationwide, prohibits the use of city funds to enforce federal drug laws on recreational cannabis.
“The City of Berkeley does not support cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration in its efforts to undermine state and local marijuana laws” the resolution also states.
Mayor Jesse Arreguin added this on Twitter Tuesday: "In light of threats by Attorney General Sessions regarding a misguided crackdown on our democratic decision to legalize recreational cannabis, we have become what may be the first city in the country to declare ourselves a sanctuary city for cannabis.”
Arreguin was referencing Sessions’ January rescission of the Obama-ear Cole Memo which dictated a laissez-faire approach to states that had legalized medical or recreational cannabis in opposition to federal drug laws. The new policy puts prosecutions back on the table in pot legal states, with discretion now in the hands of U.S. attorneys once again.
Berkeley’s latest move is consistent with its progressive history as a marijuana-friendly city. In 2008, the city council approved a similar resolution declaring Berkeley a sanctuary for medicinal cannabis.