As the State of Alaska prepares to accept commercial marijuana business applications February 24, a federal agency says the U.S. Justice Department needs to better record how legalization has impacted states.
In 2013 the Department said it would allow states to regulate marijuana for medical or recreational use, as long as those states met federal law enforcement priorities like keeping pot away from children and keeping criminal organizations our of the industry.
In a report the Government Accountability Office released Monday, investigators say the DOJ is not documenting how it is ensuring that states meet those priorities.
The report states, “Given the growing number of states legalizing marijuana, it is important for DOJ to have a clear plan for how it will be monitoring the effects of state marijuana legalization relative to DOJ marijuana enforcement guidance.”
The Justice Department says it agrees with the recommendations.
So far, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and the District of Columbia(Washington D.C.) have legalized recreational pot use.
