Story highlights In recent years, states have been allowed to "experiment" with legalizing pot

"It's not so much the attorney general's job to decide what laws to enforce," Sessions said

Washington (CNN) Sen. Jeff Sessions indicated at his confirmation hearing Tuesday that as attorney general, he might break the federal government's truce with states on marijuana.

During President Barack Obama's administration, states have been allowed to "experiment" with legalizing pot, and the Justice Department, under Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, has allowed many legal operations to continue without laying down the full weight of federal law against them.

But asked by Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Tuesday if the federal government would continue to look the other way while states enacted their own laws regarding marijuana, Sessions said he wouldn't commit to not enforcing existing federal law.

"It's not so much the attorney general's job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws as effectively as we're able," said Sessions, adding that Congress was entitled to change federal law if it so desired.

Still, the Marijuana Policy Project, which aims to allow states to determine their own marijuana laws, was encouraged by Sessions' comments.

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