Obama’s New Medicinal Marijuana Policy
WASHINGTON – Federal drug agents won’t pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.
The guidelines to be issued by the department do, however, make it clear that agents will go after people whose marijuana distribution goes beyond what is permitted under state law or use medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes, the officials said.
The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.
Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
California is unique among those for the widespread presence of dispensaries – businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services. Colorado also has several dispensaries, and Rhode Island and New Mexico are in the process of licensing providers, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that promotes the decriminalization of marijuana use.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in March that he wanted federal law enforcement officials to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.
A three-page memo spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the 14 states, and also to top officials at the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the legal guidance before it is issued.
“This is a major step forward,” said Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “This change in policy moves the federal government dramatically toward respecting scientific and practical reality.”
At the same time, the officials said, the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business.
In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or involvement in other crimes.
And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law.
The memo, officials said, is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that pot sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources.
Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama’s repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.
Soon after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government’s plans.
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On the Net:
Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/
Marijuana Policy Project: http://www.mpp.org/
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November 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
yeah, it sucks, a …
yeah, it sucks, a lot of red tape to move to another country… so sad, we’re expecting a kid now, and in the future, unless we move to the states for two years, and my wife becomes a US citizen, every time our family travels the kids and I will have to wait at customs, for mom, since she doesnt have an american passport, but our half breed kids will.
I met a german girl in san diego while attending college. she invited me to visit her and fell in love with europe and have been here ever since.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
crazy! I couldn’t …
crazy! I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to leave where you are.. sigh
we live in a up reality.. will be glad when this faze of existence is completed.
I feel that all the governments are shady.. not to say they are all part of the NWO as I think that there are a few that are and the rest are their little puppets.
what took you away from the states?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Actually, Americans …
Actually, Americans are much more oppressed, but they can easily leave the country, where eastern europeans cant.
Every north american I have met here says they feel more free here… less rights, but much more freedom and less control by the courts and police.
but, if you get hit by a car, the person with the most money (to bribe the judge) wins.
The best things about living here are the healthy foods, pretty women, and families REALLY stick together… and food is very cheap, amd NO GMO!
November 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
lol! sweet..
so …
lol! sweet..
so they are pretty well oppressed over there tho right.. that’s got to be difficult to see/live.. not to say we are not oppressed here in the states tho. I feel pretty good tho for the most part but that is because I am awake and aware and it changes one perspective in that space. you know?
I’ll talk to you later, gotta fill my head with dreams now.. peace~
November 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
oh I see, you are a …
oh I see, you are a born citizen of the US then..
I hate it too.. it breaks my heart. I do not send my child to the den of thieves public school system.. I have a 20 yr son and I made that mistake with him.. thankfully he came out of it without too many bruises.
my young son is 7 and I pray every day and night that we humans can pull our together and WAKE UP so we can remove the evil that has taken hold of our great planet.. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
and if I play my …
and if I play my music too loud, argue with my spouse, my dog is barking, or my neighbors smell weed, they won’t call the police… they’ll deal directly with us… they don’t trust the police and have a good reason NOT to… history.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
sorry, Ukraine..
sorry, Ukraine..
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’m in Ukraine. I …
I’m in Ukraine. I have lived in Germany, Czech, Poland and now Ukraine… I hate to see my country going down the tubes, I’d like to return someday so my kid can experience America for a few years, but will never let him go to school there… to be indoctrinated with bullshit govt propaganda.
geez, US schools force kids to watch TV commercials and feed them taco bell and pizza hut!
The corporate states of America, that’s a better name for the states, these days.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’ll check it out
I’ll check it out
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
ps
do you tune in …
ps
do you tune in to Matrix news they air 9pm Sun.. but I’m not sure which time zone.. I better check cuz I want to listen..
I hope it is pacific because I want my son in bed, I do my best to keep him free of world crap. 
peace.. need to crash!
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
fantastic!
we …
fantastic!
we will prevail.. we will.. good always wins over evil that’s just the way it is.. we must wake up the good people!
the audio is a guy talking about NWO and such too.. very good stuff! do you tune in to Project Camelot?
curious, you’re in UK, why do you report so much US stuff then?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I know the case …
I know the case very well, I LIVE in Ukraine!
A friend of ours works in the health care industry, he says that the numbers are cooked, not so many people are infected… just like the US… the politicians are working for the pharmaceutical industry.
Many Ukrainians are looking after themselves because they don’t trust the govt to do anything for them. Folk remedies are growing in popularity. “A vodka a day keeps swine flu away,” one elderly woman told masked passersby on the street.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
the federal …
the federal government are crooked evil doers and need to be dismantled that would solve a great deal of issues..
to further open your understanding.. google: THE STRANGE CASE OF JOSEPH MOSHE (with audio and videos)
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
they fail to …
they fail to mention what the Green Cross actually stands for. It means that this collective is operating under the guidelines set by GLACA
November 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Free Marc Emery! No …
Free Marc Emery! No more Extradition. Support AB 390