program.on journal" join us for our stop in raleigh, north carolina. our guest is josh stein. "washington journal" continues. -- >> "washington journal" continues. host: joining us is chris walsh. he is here to talk about attorney general jeff sessions' decision to reverse a federal obama air of marijuana enforcement policy and how it can impact the marijuana industry. thank you for joining us. guest: thank you for having me. host: talk about the recreational marijuana industry now that we have had states legalizing it. how big is it? guest: this is a multibillion dollar industry. several billion dollars a year are in retail sales from the recreational site. it has surpassed the medical

marijuana industry, where you have 30 states legalized. it has stormed onto the scene. industry in the states that legalized it. host: a market watch piece called it a 50 bali are -- a $50 billion industry. how many jobs are created in the states voting to legalize marijuana? guest: you have over 200,000 jobs in general. number is set to double or triple, just like retail sales in the coming years as off.ornia's markets takes there is a lot of growth on the horizon. host: back to the market watch

peas, talking about the $50 pulsate industry, " roughly 60% of americans support roughlya -- polls say 60% of americans support marijuana. rose inado alone, sales 2016 and generated $200 million of tax revenue from marijuana sales." talk about the impact of tax revenue from this. guest: it is massive. we have about a billion and a half dollars in sales alone. revenue isn in tax filtered throughout communities and the state. there was a story, i think it

was yesterday, about how police are using some of the money to try new methods to offer treatment to people on the street or people addicted to drugs. some of the money is going to schools. some of it is going to enforcement. for this industry to work, you have strong regulations and strong enforcement of those regulations. the impact is fairly significant. in jobs, there are thousands of companies who have started in colorado because of this industry. if you look at the most popular states and cities to move to, it legalizingeas recreational marijuana. job growth it brings, it does not hurt communities like people thought. you do not see educated people

flocking to the cities and states if it had ruined the communities. host: we are joined by chris walsh, the editor of "marijuana business daily." impacttalking about the about a reversal. if you support marijuana legalization, you can call (202) 748-8000. if you oppose it, you can call (202) 748-8001. talk about this reversal and guidance from jeff sessions. how did that news -- how was the news received by the marijuana industry? guest: it was a mixed bag. it was an initial panic in the morning when the report came out sessions would make this announcement. as it set in, a lot of people expected something like this. sessions has been vocal about

his views on marijuana. not thinkt -- i do he has changed in decades. he thinks it is a demon drug. only associatees themselves with it. that thisuncertainty created left people under. we do not know how it will play out. this industry already struggles with uncertainty. there are millions of challenges in the last six to seven years. no one is panicking now. it is business as usual in most cases. host: a piece from this week in the washington post talks about the impact of the move by jeff sessions. if you live in a place where recreational pot was legal, you are wondering if you need to start worrying about getting

prosecuted for it. the answer is probably not, at least according to initial indications based on u.s. attorneys who make that call. if you are panicking, you may not understand what he is doing. the drug enforcement administration does not have enough resources to crack down on recreational marijuana users. three dozen states permit medical use. what do you think the federal government and u.s. attorneys are going to be focused on, increase on marijuana prosecution? guest: they will not look at marijuana at all. sessions is trying to pave the way to say if a u.s. attorney into to prosecute or look potential marijuana crimes, it at person has more

leeway to do so. this is like sessions pulling someone over going over to miles per hour in the speed limit and lecturing them about that and consider writing a ticket. in the macro, you have a house on fire, and armed robbery occurring -- an armed robbery occurring. i do not think most u.s. attorneys think this is a big deal. if they do, it would clearly be illegal behavior -- cartel-type behavior. they will probably go for the low hanging fruit, maybe the businesses not comply with the regulations, every marijuana, selling more than they should, pushing it out-of-state, which they should be cracking down on anyway. hopefully, that is the thinking behind this. you never know. the fear is is is the first that

tort a bigger -- first step toward a bigger crackdown on the industry? this movement is more symbolic. host: adam is calling from water valley, mississippi, a supporter of legalized marijuana. good morning. caller: good morning. -- thank you,an c-span for the programming this morning. mississippimment could benefit from marijuana legalization, just from the standpoint how summary of our ofidents -- have some many our residents are being arrested and prosecuted for smallest amount of marijuana or smoking marijuana. it is outside of the medicinal

quality and benefit. i have seen it firsthand in my family. those benefits a lot of people -- family -- those benefits a lot of people speak of. we have anppi, abundance of natural resources, which i think could really help the economy. you have system of -- to go to a liquor store to get liquor. place.s the system is in it would be able to carefully in a controlled way, distribute marijuana. host: i to give chris a chance to respond. guest: you bring up a lot of good points. to focus on the anti-marijuana sentiment in this country, it is cracking with some states legalizing medical.

yes, there are structures that could be put in place easily to control medical or recreational marijuana sales. we have seen it in other states. there are models for it out there. boost.ides an economic we have seen it over and over. legalizes -- especially medical -- a few years into it, the regulators and public are continuing to expand these programs. they are -- the regulators are allowing more licenses, in many cases. they are putting more medical conditions qualifying for it onto the list. as people warm up to the idea , theney see it play out this industry expands. it will hit your stick down the road.

it made the one of the states -- one of the last states to get there. your support above 80% everywhere you look. use is in theal 50% to 60%. there is a lot of benefits. host: what about the issue he brought up about the criminal justice applications of prosecuting marijuana? guest: this goes back to my analogy about sessions focusing on someone going to miles an hour over the speed limit -- two miles an hour over the speed limit. it is a waste of resources, the public realizes it is not a big issue we should vocus on. you would free up law enforcement to do a lot of other important work. you would not be devoting as much money to it. again, a great point on that end. you see in other states like

colorado, where they are not focused on people walking around with marijuana in their pocket. that has had a big change in how law enforcement is able to do his job and focus on more serious crimes. host: another supporter's calling from illinois, good morning. caller: good morning. thank you, c-span. i am a supporter of marijuana legalization. our law enforcement and our education system could benefit greatly from the taxes we could collect through legalization of marijuana. we could use the money to help schools in lower income areas, cps, and different things in my money towell as law-enforcement for training, equipment, and the opioid epidemic.

illinois has one of the most restrictive programs. i wonder if it has to do with lobbying from alcohol and opioid industries. host: talk a little bit about that, chris. guest: great points, we are getting good calls. you bring up a lot of interesting points. going back to what i said earlier, illinois started with a very restricted program. it was a pilot program for medical marijuana. it has been extended and expanded. once people become familiar with of it.y see the benefits they expanded. you are seeing it in illinois. hopefully, he will become a bigger program. a few other points, the money to go into helping the community. the opioid epidemic is a great point to bring up. why would we focus on marijuana, especially in states where it is

legal and you -- and you do not have proof people are addicted? you have this other problem you have seen in some states -- that has been research -- i do not know how credible it is, but there have been early indications legalize marijuana actually can help lower the use of -- the of use of opioids. -- the of use of opioids. pioids.abuse of o you can help, even with the drug epidemic of the harder, serious, problematic drugs. host: on the front page of the ofgonion, a sting operation one in five pot shops sold to underage people.

the oregon liquor control commission send people younger than 21 in stores across the state. in those, 16 were allowed to purchase the drugs. a commissioner called the results unacceptable. talk a little bit about that. guest: i completely agree with that. like any industry, people start around the edges of regulations. people take advantage of their situation. that type of action and behavior should not be tolerated. i agree with that comment. one in 5 -- one in 10? it is completely acceptable. we are seeing -- it is completely unacceptable. we are seeing -- for marijuana to have the have states actively involved.

in denver, the crackdown on the chain of operational stores selling more than the allowed limit to an individual person each day. that is a healthy sign -- i am not trying to put a positive spin on it because this type of thing should not be happening. it hurts the industry on a whole. it shows states are taking the industry seriously. they are monitoring in. -- monitoring it. i cannot tell you how may times i've heard bars or liquor stores and busted for the same thing. it is not just this industry. it is a problem, but i am encouraged the states are looking into it. they should crackdown heavily. host:. opposes marijuana legalization -- john opposes marijuana realization, calling from pennsylvania -- marijuana legalization, calling from pennsylvania. caller: good morning. i think it is stupid to legalize

marijuana. we look at the millions of dollars we spend every year trying to get people to stop smoking. marijuana is more addictive -- as i understand -- than tobacco. regarding increasing the number of people addicted to marijuana and have the government spending millions of dollars to get them to stop using it. also, they never seem to talk about the health effects and the cost on the help system. the tobacco industry -- everybody knows causes tremendous amounts of dollars spent on health care for those addicted to smoking. now, we're going to have the same thing by legalizing

marijuana. host: i want chris to respond. guest: i understand your perspective. there are some things that may be a little off that i may be able to shed light on. there is not a lot of evidence that marijuana is addictive. there has not been a lot of research on it because the federal government has blocked the research on marijuana for decades. we do not have much scientific research on it. a lot of people would argue it is the opposite, it is not addictive. at theld be surprised forms of marijuana now. you are not just putting it in paper and lighting it with a lighter and inhaling smoke. there are hundreds of forms now. for people who are sick who want it for pain relief, they are creams and lotions. rae are adjustable you -- ingestables.

-- are ingestables. to compare it to tobacco is not fair. tobacco, there are only two ways to get it, whether smoking or chewing tobacco. there is also the vaporizers, the e-cigarette versions of marijuana and you're not inhaling it, just the smoke from the plant. the health issues with marijuana going to bely, studied going forward. i cannot get here and say there is not going to be negative impacts of this. there probably are, like almost everything else. i can say it is not equivalent to smoking tobacco at all. a lot of people use it for pain relief. i do not know anyone who uses tobacco for pain relief. that is why we have 30 states that legalized medical marijuana. i like beer, that is my thing. if marijuana is less harmful --

-- thanarned alcohol. about therry health effects of alcohol and how we are encouraging people to become reliant and dependent on that versus marijuana. host: i want to talk about -- i want to ask you if jeff sessions may be out of step with the president and his supporters. this piece on the front page of today's record searchlight says the trump administration's anti-marijuana move has some members of the president's voting based fuming. trumpf president donald they feelsessions -- let down by the man they help elect. trump voters were in the growing industry around legalize marijuana taking root in state

of all political stripes. what do you think about that charge, perhaps this is not favorable among trump voters? guest: i think it shows marijuana is not divided by party lines anymore. been as recently as five years ago. it is not anymore. that is what i was alluding to before. poll after poll, support for medical is over 80%, often at 90% across the country in red and blue states. recreational has been -- support for it has been growing as well. you have more republican supporting it. this -- republicans supporting it. this is bringing the trend down to the average person. yes, there are people in the heartland of america who supported trump who are these marijuana themselves medically or regulation or the people who do and are not concerned with

it, given all the issues. it is not surprising. it is not a political football anymore. not inld be looked at terms of red and blue. host: herbert calls from berkeley, california, you support marijuana. caller: thank you. andnted to thank c-span chris walsh. a reality,peak about which is not necessarily -- marijuana does not have to be used with smoke only. ofcan be sold in all kinds delightful tasting realities. want to turn my attention call real concern, which i

wrote a book called the ethics of ambiguity. host: can you get your point? we are running out of time. caller: the divisiveness in america is not being talked about. it is good and it is that is ambiguous. ian so will move on to we can get inside. and in in the military the branch, i am conservative. there is no reason for a sick child to move to colorado. recreational, we lost the battle. to win the battle, you legalize it. to kids,es sell it

they will lose their license. it is harder for kids to get. kent are doing heroin in grade school. you use the taxes to stop heroin, cocaine, opioids, everything else. you have to legalize it. we cannot keep spending money putting choppers up for job security for cops to cut down plants. it is a losing battle. host: i want to let chris respond. guest: great points, it shows it does not matter what side of the aisle you are on. we lost that war. when you look at marijuana listed as a schedule one drug with heroin as one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. it makes no sense. our government is behind the times. have canada legalizing marijuana relationally at the federal level this year. they have already done it with medical. the u.s. is falling behind on this.

other countries are legalizing medical marijuana at a rapid rate federally. we are way behind on this. we could improve public health and are a lot of benefits. there are some negatives. as you said, hopefully, the industry and states and the federal government will help address the negatives and turn them into positives. host: fred is a supporter from michigan, what is your question? caller: i have a comment. he made an excellent point. i have been taking medications from hydrocortisone t. ittarted smoking pot, using as a vapor, i have cut down to four pills for high blood pressure, feeling great. nothing is tearing up my stomach. it needs to be used versus all of these opioids. it can be done recreational --

he will not have these problems with kids trying to buy and get on heroin. host: i want to let him respond. guest: i have heard thousands of stores over the past couple of years like yours. i can in skeptical when we started this. if this had a negative impact on the get out of this industry and business. i have heard countless stories like this. these are not all potheads on marijuana. these are people with illness, regular people, and your story resonates with a lot of people. wyles, managing editor of marijuana business daily. thank you so much for joining us. guest: thank you. host: tomorrow on "washington journal," we will be joined by charlie cole to talk about the dings for thece rea 2018 midterms.