Governors of the first four states to legalize recreational marijuana are asking the federal government to respect these new laws.

Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska, Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon, and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington sent an open letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asking for them to "engage with us before embarking on any changes to regulatory and enforcement systems."

The letter, dated Monday, urges the two top officials to respect the measures passed by their respective states with regards to the drug, which is still illegal under federal law.

The governors cite the 2013 Cole Memorandum and ask Sessions and Mnuchin to consult it before making any drastic changes to how marijuana law is enforced at the federal level.

"The balance struck by the 2013 Department of Justice Cole Memorandum (Cole Memo) has been indispensable – providing the necessary framework for state regulatory programs centered on public safety and health protections," the letter reads.

It adds: "The Cole Memo and the related Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) guidance provide the foundation for state regulatory systems and are vital to maintaining control over marijuana in our states. Overhauling the Cole Memo is sure to produce unintended and harmful consequences. Changes that hurt the regulated market would divert existing marijuana product into the black market and increase dangerous activity in both our states and our neighboring states."

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The governors also note that they have allowed for marijuana to be legalized at the medical and/or recreational level because it is "the will of our citizens" and since voters made that will known have made sure it is regulated properly to "prioritize public health and public safety, reduce inequitable incarceration and expand our economies."

Currently, 28 states plus the District of Columbia have some laws that legalize marijuana in some form.

Sessions made comments in recent weeks showing that is he willing to up the federal government's enforcement on the drug.

"Twenty-eight states, representing more than 60 percent of Americans, have authorized some form of marijuana-related conduct. As we face the reality of these legalizations, we stand eager to work with our federal partners to address implementation and enforcement concerns cooperatively," the governors urged.