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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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U.S. won't prosecute use of medical marijuana Josh Meyer Twin Cities Pioneer Press Tuesday 20 Oct 2009 The move by the Justice Department ended months of uncertainty over how far the Obama White House planned to go in reversing the Bush administration's federal stance on the controversial issue, which held that authorities should continue to enforce federal drug laws even in states with medical marijuana laws on the books. In new guidelines circulated Monday, the Justice Department told prosecutors and federal drug agents that they have more important things to do than to arrest people as long as they are obeying the laws of states that allow some use or sale of medical marijuana. The move clarifies what some critics had said was an ambiguous position of the Obama administration, especially in the battleground state of California, where authorities raided numerous clinics and made arrests over the years. The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups welcomed the move as an important step toward a comprehensive national policy on medical marijuana because it will allow states to implement their laws without fear of interference from the federal government. In all, 13 states have some form of medical marijuana laws. Attorney General Eric Holder said the new guidelines were adopted, in part, because federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources and need them for more pressing priorities, such as countering the spread of violent Mexican drug cartels, which use the vast profits from their marijuana sales in the United States to support other criminal activities.
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