Via WSJ
Law Blog, on Monday Deputy Attorney General David Ogden released
a memo affirming the Obama administration’s policy on medical marijuana disclosed
earlier this year. The memo states
that:
For example, prosecution of individuals with cancer or other
serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen
consistent with applicable state law, or those caregivers in clear and
unambiguous compliance with existing state law who provide such individuals
with marijuana, is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal
resources. On the other hand, prosecution of commercial enterprises that
unlawfully market and sell marijuana for profit continues to be an enforcement
priority of the Department. To be sure, claims of compliance with state or
local law may mask operations inconsistent with the terms, conditions, or
purposes of those laws, and federal law enforcement should not be deterred by
such assertions when otherwise pursuing the Department's core enforcement
priorities.
As I
discussed over the weekend, the policy still leaves large numbers of
dispensaries, particularly in California, in a state of uncertainty, as they
are not clearly in compliance with state laws.
That seems to be a very vague and over worded memo of the confusing sort. Maybe legalization of marijuana could be a good thing. We need drastic help to get out of debt and the tax repercussions of the government controlling the marijuana might really help that. Also, possibly reducing the violent crime rate in CA! This should prove to be an interesting debate for the Obama administration to clear up.
Thanks for the post!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, the memo clearly leaves many dispensaries in a continuing state of uncertainty. Developments worth watching going forward, no doubt.