Cole Memorandum

The Cole Memorandum was a guidance document issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013, providing federal prosecutors with a framework for handling state-legal cannabis activities. It advised them not to prioritize enforcement against cannabis operations that complied with state laws, such as those involving licensing, limiting sales, preventing distribution to minors, and preventing drugged driving. The memo aimed to respect state sovereignty while maintaining federal enforcement focus, but it did not change federal law, which still classifies marijuana as illegal. The memo effectively created a temporary, non-binding guideline for prosecutorial discretion regarding cannabis businesses operating legally at the state level.