PBS高端访谈:新联邦指南对大麻合法化提出质疑

HARI SREENIVASAN: On New Year's Day, California joined the growing list of states and the District of Columbia where it is now legal to sell marijuana. While state and local leaders may see marijuana as a taxable cash crop, the Trump¹ administration has a different point of view. On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded² an Obama administration policy that discouraged federal prosecutors³ in most instances from bringing charges in places where marijuana is legal under state law. Joining me now from Washington, D.C., is John Hudak, the deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, to help assess the impact of this move.

So let's just, in plain English, what does the attorney general calling for?

JOHN HUDAK: What the attorney general is calling for is the freeing up for U.S. attorneys, for federal prosecutors to start to go after state legal marijuana businesses who are complying with state law and are serving customers in states that have chosen to reform their marijuana laws. Something that the Obama administration put protections in against, the Trump administration is repealing⁴ that.

HARI SREENIVASAN: And this was something the Attorney General Sessions said that he wasn't really going to take action on during his confirmation⁵ hearing, right?

JOHN HUDAK: The attorney general has had a lot of mixed language when it comes to this issue. He's been cagey. There have been moments where he has suggested that he saw the standing⁶ policy as a good one, or one to keep in place, and there are other moments where you hear the attorney general using that type of “War on Drugs” language about marijuana that we really haven't heard from the top tiers of administrations for, for 15 or 20 years.

HARI SREENIVASAN: But what happens? There are small businesses that are taking steps already in states where it is legal, and there are investors⁷, there's possible bank loans, all sorts of institutions that are involved in this economy. What happens when this statement from on high comes in? Does it add some uncertainty⁸ into how these businesses fare?

JOHN HUDAK: Well certainly the statement itself, the policy change itself, adds uncertainty to this industry and of course uncertainty is bad for any business. But the statement itself won't necessarily enact⁹ change. Change will happen when U.S. attorneys, working closely with DEA and other law enforcement entities¹⁰ begin enforcing against these businesses. That day may never come, but if it does, that will be a moment where the industry feels the real effects of this policy. And you'll start to see ripple¹¹ effects spreading out from there.

HARI SREENIVASAN: There's already been pushback from Senator Gardner in Colorado and, how does states respond to this? What can they do to encourage what they might see as an important part of their economy?

JOHN HUDAK: Well you're right about Senator Gardner. In fact dozens and dozens of House members and senators have come out and slammed the attorney general for this policy, in part because it actually goes back on what were statements by the president when he was running for office about his view on this issue. He said that it should be a states rights issue.

So what do states have to do? What can they do? First off, they don't have to help the federal government enforce federal law. There is a protection against that under the 10th Amendment¹² to the Constitution. And so you will see a lot of states, most states probably, just say to the federal government, if you want to enforce your laws go ahead and do it on your own. You're not getting a dime¹³ of state revenue to help do this and that really is the first line of protection that states have.

HARI SREENIVASAN: But what about if the DEA wants to come in to a growing operation in California or Colorado and carry out what they say, “This is my job, I'm doing this, what the federal law says, right?”

JOHN HUDAK: There's really nothing states can do. If DEA goes into a state with recreational marijuana and begins to arrest people, shut down businesses, seize assets, seize plants. There's not much the state can do to combat that. It is illegal under federal law. DEA and U.S. attorneys have the authority to investigate and bring charges against these entities and it would be a difficult day for the marijuana industry. It would be a day that may frustrate¹⁴ governors across the country but it's a day that would be completely in compliance¹⁵ with federal law.

HARI SREENIVASAN: All right John Hudak of the Brookings Institution, thanks so much.

JOHN HUDAK: Thank you.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 rescinded   

v.废除，取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。 来自互联网

3 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

4 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

9 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

10 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

11 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

13 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

14 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

15 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。