State Sen. Owen Hill, a Colorado Springs Republican challenging U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in a primary, on Monday called on the federal government to keep its hands off Colorado’s legalized marijuana industry and tore into Lamborn for welcoming a recent shift in policy that could lead to a federal crackdown.

“Doug Lamborn is coming out in favor of big government, in favor of the feds taking over states’ rights,” Hill told Colorado Politics. “He’s completely out of line with the people of Colorado. And he’s out of line with being a conservative.”

Lamborn was the only member of Colorado’s congressional delegation to side with Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement last month that federal prosecutors can enforce federal controlled substances law in states that have legalized the drug, including Colorado.

Voters in Colorado and Washington approved state constitutional amendments in 2012 to legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana. Since then, the District of Columbia and six other states, including California, have legalized pot.

Sessions reversed an Obama-era policy, articulated in a 2013 document known as the Cole Memo, that told federal prosecutors to take a mostly hands-off approach in states where marijuana is legal.

“The federal government has the right and responsibility to uphold federal laws,” Lamborn said in a statement after Sessions’ move, adding that he views the Cole Memo as yet another effort by the Obama administration to circumvent the law by executive action.

“Rather than lessening criminal activity associated with marijuana, cartels have rushed into Colorado, resulting in 19 cartel operation busts in the last 18 months. If we’re honest with ourselves, legalizing marijuana has been bad for the state of Colorado. I applaud Attorney General Sessions for upholding the law and recognizing the serious and proven harms associated with marijuana,” Lamborn said.

In an opinion article published Monday and an interview with Colorado Politics, Hill said he’s concerned about the prevalence of marijuana in Colorado – and has worked to pass laws to “control the harmful effects of marijuana legalization” – but believes it’s a states’ rights issue under both the Colorado and U.S. constitutions.

“Everyone but Doug Lamborn – Ken Buck, who is adamantly opposed to Amendment 64; Jared Polis, who is adamantly for Amendment 64 – everyone but Doug Lamborn is in agreement here. Keep big federal government out of Colorado. This is a Colorado issue,” Hill said, citing a joint statement by the state’s other members of Congress, including the Republican Buck and Democrat Polis, that seeks legislation to “ensure the sanctity of Colorado’s marijuana laws.”

“This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue,” Hill added. “This is about a Colorado vs. out-of-control Washington, D.C., issue. When push comes to shove, unless you’re out of touch like Doug Lamborn, we’re always going to stand up for our local folks here in Colorado.”

Hill said it doesn’t matter that Colorado’s U.S. attorney has said his office doesn’t plan to change its stance toward the state’s $1.5 billion industry.

“Maybe it’s not going to change, and it’s saber-rattling from the feds. It still means all these legitimate businesspeople who are trying to run a good business now have to be worried about it. It causes their investors to be skittish,” Hill said.

Hill is one of three GOP candidates running against Lamborn, who is seeking his seventh term representing the heavily Republican 5th Congressional District. The others are El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn, who was the GOP’s 2016 U.S. Senate nominee, and former Texas state judge Bill Rhea. Four Democrats are also running for the seat.