Feds will no longer go after medical marijuana
Medical marijuana
Proponents for the legalization of marijuana are touting this as a major turnaround by the federal government, the DOJ and the DEA, and the change is significant compared to the Bush Administration’s stand in relation to marijuana use. However, it is far from a victory when you consider the language of the memo.
The Department of Justice is committed to the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in all States. Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug, and the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a serious crime and provides a significant source of revenue to large-scale criminal enterprises, gangs, and cartels. One timely example underscores the importance of our efforts to prosecute significant marijuana traffickers: marijuana distribution in the United States remains the single largest source of revenue for the Mexican cartels.
That paragraph illustrates the hypocrisy of the federal position on marijuana, and it all comes down to the Controlled Substances Act. Despite the fact that 14 states have approved the use of medical marijuana, based on scientific studies and medical evidence, by maintaining its position that marijuana is a Schedule I Controlled Substance, the DEA and the federal government are denying all of that evidence, and claiming the marijuana has no proven medical benefits.
The federal government today said that they will not pursue prosecution of individuals who use medical marijuana or organizations which distribute medical marijuana as long as they are 100% compliant with state laws which permit its use and distribution. But what does that really mean for the Marijuana Nation?
