Colorado’s chief law enforcement officer says she’s prepared to take on the federal government if the Trump administration threatens the state’s recreational marijuana industry.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Thursday ignited a furor when he told reporters that states could face “greater enforcement” of federal laws banning recreational marijuana, although he didn’t go into details.

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican, said Friday she’ll see the administration in court if the Department of Justice tries to crack down on the state’s legalized marijuana.

“My position has been – and I used to talk about this while I was campaigning – I will protect the constitution of the state of Colorado, especially when the voters put something in the constitution under the initiative process,” Coffman told The Colorado Statesman in an interview. “It’s the state AG’s job to stand up for the voters and what they wanted.”

In 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington approved constitutional amendments to legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana, although federal law still classifies pot as an illegal, controlled substance. Since then, six other states and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug.

As Colorado officials worked to assemble a framework of marijuana regulations in 2013, the Obama administration shifted federal policy from strict enforcement to a more hands-off approach in states that had legalized the drug, so long as the states met certain conditions.

Spicer’s remarks signaled that the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a fierce critic of legalized pot, could be shifting federal policy again.

Coffman said Friday it was unclear exactly what Spicer was suggesting, adding that any response would have to await clarification from the Trump administration.

Spicer pointed out Thursday that Congress has passed legislation that bars federal prosecutors from going after medical marijuana – it’s legal in 28 states and the District of Columbia – but drew a sharp contrast with recreational use of the drug, even comparing it to the opioid crisis.

“That’s very different than the recreational use, which is something the Department of Justice, I think, will be further looking into,” Spicer said. “I think that when you see something like the opioid-addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people. There’s still a federal law that we need to abide by when it comes to recreational marijuana and other drugs of that nature.”

“That’s what it sounded like,” Coffman said, shaking her head. “I’ve listened to the statement a few times. It’s pretty vague. It certainly hints that medical marijuana will be protected but that recreational marijuana may not be. Obviously, until we have something concrete from the Department of Justice, it’s impossible to know how we will handle that.”

Coffman said she’s looking forward to discussing the matter next week with the attorneys general from the other states that have legalized marijuana. They’ll all be attending the winter conference of the National Association of Attorneys General in Washington, D.C.

“I’m sure this is going to be a topic of conversation,” she said with a terse smile. “I’m going to try to get together with those states that have legalized recreational marijuana.” She added, “We’ll have to talk that through, because I’m sure we will become good friends on this issue.”

Coffman said she’s also looking forward to meeting Sessions and having a chance to talk policy with him. The former Alabama senator is scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning with the states’ attorneys general at the conference.

“They have a period where press is in the room and they give prepared remarks, and then, of course, the press is dismissed for the good stuff, and we get to ask questions,” Coffman said.

“It’s all going to depend on what angle Justice decides to take this,” she said. “I have no idea what they’re going to do.”

– ernest@coloradostatesman.com