Berkeley Council Votes Unanimously to Become a Sanctuary City for Marijuana
Berkeley’s Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a resolution making the city a sanctuary city for marijuana.
The proposal, put forth by Mayor Jesse Arreguin along with two councilmembers, prohibits all local officials and city employees from assisting federal officials in the enforcement of federal marijuana laws.
“I believe we can balance public safety and resisting the Trump administration,” says Mayor Arreguin. In a tweet made after the council’s vote, Arreguin said the move was in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ “misguided crackdown on our democratic decision to legalize recreational cannabis.”
According to Arreguin, the approved resolution doesn’t prevent the city from assisting the feds in other drug-related crimes.
A statewide measure (Assembly Bill 1578) that would make California a sanctuary state for marijuana was passed last June by the state’s Assembly in a 41 to 33 vote, but has yet to pass the Senate.
