The Famous Marijuana Memos: Q&A With Former DOJ Deputy Attorney General James Cole

By John Schroyer

There’s a good argument to be made that James Cole has had a bigger impact on the U.S. cannabis industry than any other single individual in modern history.

The former U.S. deputy attorney general, who served from 2010-2015, authored a trio of memos essentially outlining federal policy on the cannabis industry.

• The first, in 2011, came barely six months into his tenure and resulted in a wave of crackdowns on the medical cannabis industry at the time.

• The second, in 2013, was aimed at addressing the seeming contradiction…