On an episode of Michigan Radio's Stateside program, Melvyn Levitsky discusses the history of relaxed marijuana restrictions, as well as the federal and global implications of this trend. Levitsky, who has served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters and on the International Narcotics Control Board, argues that the federal government's failure to challenge changes in marijuana laws at the state level means the United States is ignoring its constitutional and international obligations.
In the interview, Levitsky worries about the consequences of failing to enforce federal drug laws, which are further backed up by U.S. signed international treaties, stating:
"This idea of cherry picking federal law by deciding which ones we will abide by and which ones we won't sets a very bad precedent not just for drugs but in general because a future administration could decide not to abide by another federal law that might be important to a lot of people."
Levitsky also discussed this topic in a recent Policy Points video: