Berkeley City Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to give citizens in that California city an extra layer of protection by becoming the first sanctuary city for marijuana.
By voting to become a “sanctuary city for legal adult-use marijuana,” Berkeley prohibited city agencies and employees from turning over information on legal cannabis activities, and will not be permitted to enforce federal marijuana laws, according to SFGate.com.
“I believe we can balance public safety and resisting the Trump administration,” Mayor Jesse Arreguin said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “We’re keeping with the strong position Berkeley is a sanctuary for people in our community.”
The resolution is mostly a sign of support to the cannabis industry and a message of resistance to the federal government’s laws on marijuana.
Noncompliance with federal enforcement operations sent to crack down on a single provider would slow down the process because federal prosecutors usually rely on local agencies to hand over information, but the measure would be unlikely to stop the operation wholly, the report said.
“In light of threats by Attorney General [Jeff] 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. #berkmtg,” Arreguin tweeted after the measure was voted on Tuesday night.
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. #berkmtg
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 14, 2018
