7/31/2019 Feds Do 180 on Policy Regarding Medical Marijuana Industry in California

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Feature

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Tensions are running high between the federal government

and the state over the issue. And the edict appears to

completely contradict what the Obama administration said in

October 2009, that: federal prosecutors would not prosecute

individual patients who used marijuana or the operators thatdistributed it for medical reasons in a state where it had been

legalized, per the October 8th nytimes.com article, U.S.

Attorneys in California Set Crackdown on Marijuana.

Though its hard to say, one can only wonder if the crackdown

isnt at least in part, politically motivated, as the presidential

campaign looms.

California was the rst state to make medical marijuana legal

in 1996. Since then, fteen other states have followed suit.

According to the nytimes.com article, the four United States

attorneys in California said they would take action againstlandlords renting to operators of dispensaries. Prosecutors

suspect the dispensaries are being used as a cover for large

scale drug operations; in the tens of mill ions of dollars.

The four U.S. attorneys in California

Laura E. Duffy has served as the U.S. attorney for the

Southern District of California since June of 2010, when she

was appointed by President Obama. The Southern District of

California includes San Diego and Imperial Counties, and has

approximately 3.1 million residents.

In September 2009, President Obama appointed Andr Birotte

Jr. as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.

The district includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San

Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

Melinda Haag has served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern

District of California since being appointed by Obama in

August of 2010.

Benjamin B. Wagner was appointed by President BarackObama on November 6, 2009 as the United States Attorney

for the Eastern District of California.

Reactions

Andr Birotte Jr., the United States attorney in Los Angeles,

was quoted as saying: This is not what the California voters

intended or authorized. It is illegal under California law.

Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project,

which supports the legalization of the drug for medical and

non-medical use, was quoted as saying: Its a tremendous

shift for them to say they are going to do this. But for now it isstill threats. Until we start seeing the shutdowns themselves,

its hard to know what it means more than rhetoric.

Benjamin B. Wagner, the United States attorney in Sacramento

was quoted as saying: Large commercial operations cloak

their money-making activities in the guise of helping sick

people when they are in fact helping themselves. Our interest

is in enforcing federal criminal law, not prosecuting seriously

ill sick people and those who are caring for them.

According to the October 13th sfgate.com article, Dispensary

ads next targets in federal war on pot, U.S. Attorney Laura

Duffy is preparing to target media, including newspapers and

radio stations, that advertise medical marijuana dispensaries.

Feds Do 180 on Policy Regarding Medical Marijuana Industry in California

By Rebecca E. Neely

California is cracking down on the states burgeoning medical marijuana industry. Recently, federal officials warned many marijuana

dispensaries throughout the state to close or risk facing civil and criminal actions.

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