A federal prosecutor will hold a symposium on marijuana Wednesday in Charleston. The invitation-only event will feature law enforcement officials and researchers opposed to marijuana legalization.
Mike Stuart, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, is hosting the event alongside a regional task force aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
Featured speakers at the event include Dr. Mourad Gabriel, an ecologist who assists law enforcement in remediating illegal grow sites, and Kevin Sabet, executive director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a nonprofit that opposes legalization and commercialization.
Stuart himself has also been a staunch and vocal opponent of marijuana reform, including legalization for recreational and medical use.
Looking forward to invite-only marijuana symposium next week. Facts not propaganda. Facts about Colorado. Facts about ecology & environment. Facts about health. Facts about black market. FACTS!Public deserves facts & policy makers, media, law enforcement should know the facts.
— US Attorney Mike Stuart (@USAttyStuart) December 5, 2018
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 33 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico allow marijuana for medical use. Ten states and D.C. have legalized the drug for recreational purposes. It remains illegal on the federal level.
West Virginia is slated to provide medical access to the drug on July 1, 2019, although technical cleanups to the law failed to pass during the 2018 legislative session.
Public opinion polling conducted by Gallup and Pew -- released separately in October 2018 -- indicate roughly two-thirds of Americans support the legalization of marijuana.
