Las Vegas, NV – Congresswoman Dina Titus, Representative of Nevada’s First Congressional District and inaugural member of the House Cannabis Caucus, released the following statement in response to comments from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer regarding the Trump administration’s potential targeting of states like Nevada which have moved to regulate the commercial sale of marijuana:

“Sean Spicer’s warning that the U.S. Justice Department will step up enforcement of federal laws against the sale and use of recreational marijuana is concerning at a time when Nevada and other states are beginning to develop this industry," Rep. Titus said. "Such comments from the White House underscore the need for Congress to step up and protect the interests of the states that have chosen to regulate marijuana like alcohol.  This is clearly in keeping with public sentiment nationally. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues in Washington, D.C. to protect the interests of Nevadans from any targeting by the Trump Administration.”

Today, 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana in some form. In addition, 7 states, including Nevada, now have legalized marijuana for commercial sale to adults. A Quinnipiac University Poll released just yesterday showed that 93% of Americans support legalization of marijuana, and 59% support legalization of commercial marijuana sales. In addition, 5 out of 7 respondents said that the federal government should respect state laws where medical or adult use of marijuana has been legalized.