Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently asked congress to allow him to prosecute medical marijuana providers, which was set into place back in 2014. Today, the benefits of medical marijuana have been shown to reduce pain, treat glaucoma, help control seizures and lessen symptoms of multiple sclerosis. And, tax revenues from the 29 states that allow medical marijuana are projected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for state and local government programs.

“Support for the legalization of medical marijuana is higher than ever,” said Steve Janjic, CEO of Amercanex, in a recent interview with Inside Counsel. “This April, a CBS News poll found that 61 percent of Americans believe marijuana use should be legalized and Quinnipiac found that 94 percent of American voters support the use of marijuana for medical purposes.”

Janjic founded Amercanex to provide a transparent, neutral and non-manipulated marketplace for institutional cannabis-industry participants, including growers and retailers. The company strictly adheres to the centralizing regulatory and reporting requirements to local and regional regulatory authorities. He is also the former global head of eFX Sales and Distribution at Tullett Prebon, one of the world's largest institutional brokerage firms, with 168 years in the marketplace.

“We hope the medical community and our government officials can persuade Attorney General Sessions how important our industry is to the public,” said Janjic.

The Attorney General has not outlined a policy for medical marijuana. Per Janjic, he has stated he is not in favor of the Cole Memo and has written a memo asking to change the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, but his position cannot act without the consent of Congress.

But, the economic benefits of legalizing cannabis would be a huge win for state and federal government budgets. In fact, last year in Colorado, the state collected more than $135 in taxes. California, which voted to legalize recreational marijuana, is projected to exceed $15 billion in sales and $3 billion in tax revenue, according to ICF International.

“The money from taxes would help balance strained budgets for pensions, healthcare, housing, education and social programs,” he explained. “It would also allow police and law enforcement to spend less money and resources on marijuana enforcement and more on serious drug offenses and crimes.”

In April, a CBS News poll found that 61 percent of Americans believe marijuana use should be legalized and Quinnipiac found that 94 percent of American voters support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The benefits of medical marijuana have been shown to reduce pain, treat glaucoma, help control seizures and lessen symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

“Tax revenues from the 29 states that allow medical marijuana is projected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for state and local government programs,” Janjic said. “We hope the medical community and our government officials can persuade Attorney General Sessions how important our industry is to the public.”

So, how exactly could the legalization of marijuana change the litigation world?

According to Janjic, legalizing cannabis would reduce the caseload for prosecutors and law enforcement and it would lessen the number of inmates jailed for low-grade offenses.

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