Dianne Feinstein, California’s prominent senator, has publicly endorsed the legalization of cannabis. The Sacramento Bee reports that Feinstein, heretofore opposed to legalized rec-use but amenable to qualified medical-use, has come around to legalization based off her encounters with constituents, including families with young children for whom medical marijuana has enhanced their quality of life.

“Federal law enforcement agents should not arrest Californians who are adhering to California law,” said the longtime Democrat, before adding a reasonably cautious reminder of the import of regulation: “My state has legalized marijuana for personal use, and as California continues to implement this law, we need to ensure we have strong safety rules to prevent impaired driving and youth access, similar to other public health issues like alcohol,”

Feinstein’s about-face comes at a serendipitous time for not only herself as she faces a challenger in her re-election campaign, but also for the cannabis industry in California and across the country. The announcement comes on the heels of John Boehner’s endorsement of legalized cannabis (and his appointment to Acreage’s board of directors) last month, and provides another respected and influential voice backing legalization in the face of Jeff Sessions’s rescinding of the Cole Memo back in January.

The Sacramento Bee story goes on to explain why Feinstein’s endorsement is so significant at this point and time for cannabis on the federal level. Presently, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.) is working with Colorado congressman, Cory Gardner on a bill that would assure states the legal capacity, from the federal level on down, to determine if they should or should not legalize cannabis. This of course would greatly assist plant-touching businesses and banking institutions in states where cannabis is legal. For Gardner and Warren’s, uhh, joint measure to pass it would likely have to go through the Senate Judiciary Committee which just so happens to have Dianne Feinstein as a member.