Lawmakers Debate Bills To Protect Legalized Marijuana

DENVER (CBS4)- State lawmakers are debating two bills that would protect Colorado from the federal government when it comes to legalized marijuana.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions opposes the drug's legalization and last month ordered a review of the government's marijuana policy, which has included a largely hands-off approach in legal marijuana states.

Sessions has the authority to enforce federal laws that ban the sale of recreational pot.

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One bill being debated at the state Capitol would allow recreational marijuana shops to change to medical marijuana shops.

"We need a quick, easy, efficient way to make sure that our legal marijuana stays legal in the State of Colorado and that might mean switching from a recreational system to a medical marijuana system," said Rep. Jonathan Singer, a Democrat representing Longmont.

The second bill died in the legislature on Monday. It would have stopped any state worker from cooperating with a federal crackdown on recreational marijuana.