Attorney General Jeff Sessions hates marijuana, but it appears unlikely that he’ll send the federal government to war against states that have legalized it.

That’s the takeaway from Sessions’ appearance Wednesday before local, state and federal law enforcement officials in Richmond, Virginia.

After delivering prepared remarks comparing marijuana to heroin and insisting that “using drugs will destroy your life,” Sessions told reporters that much of the Obama-era guidance that paved the way for states to legalize marijuana is “valid.” It’s the clearest indication yet that he may not be readying for a nationwide crackdown as some drug policy reformers have feared.