States Reassess Marijuana Laws After Fed Warnings

**Prince** · 05-03-2011, 12:39 PM

States Reassess Marijuana Laws After Fed Warnings
By MIKE BAKER Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. May 3, 2011 (AP)

Several states have started reassessing their medical marijuana laws after stern warnings from the federal government that everyone from licensed growers to regulators could be subjected to prosecution.

The ominous-sounding letters from U.S. attorneys in recent weeks have directly injected the federal government back into a debate that has for years been progressing at the state level. Warnings in Washington state led Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto a proposal that would have created licensed marijuana dispensaries.

Gregoire, the chair of the National Governors Association, now says she wants to work with other states to push for changes to federal marijuana laws to resolve the legal disputes caused by what she described as prosecutors reinterpreting their own policies.

"The landscape is changing out there. They are suggesting they are not going to stand down," Gregoire said.

The Department of Justice said two years ago that it would be an inefficient use of funds to target people who are in clear compliance with state law. But U.S. attorneys have said in their recent memos that they would consider civil or criminal penalties for those who run large-scale operations — even if they are acceptable under state law.

In a letter to Gregoire, Washington state's two U.S. attorneys warned that even state employees could be subject to prosecution for their role in marijuana regulation. The letter does not specify how that would happen, but the implication is that state workers who are involved in approving and regulating the sale of an illegal drug are committing a crime.

No state workers have been charged federally for regulating medical marijuana laws, and legal experts say such a move would be extraordinary — if not unprecedented in recent history. Gregoire said she didn't want to take the chance, arguing that it would be irresponsible for her to leave her workers vulnerable.

Letters with various cautions have also gone to officials in California, Colorado, Montana and Rhode Island. Federal authorities recently conducted a series of raids at grow operations in Montana, helping push lawmakers to put stricter limits on the industry. Federal raids also targeted at least two dispensaries in Spokane on Thursday, a day before Gregoire decided to veto the proposed law.

More than a dozen states have approved the medical use of marijuana, which is not legal under federal law. About half of those states regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.

The impact of the U.S. attorneys' letters is growing. New Jersey is in the process of preparing to implement its new medical marijuana law, but Gov. Chris Christie's administration doesn't want to get operations fully up and running until it can get some clarity about the legal warnings issued in other states and how they might affect New Jersey workers and marijuana operators.

"Those letters raised serious questions about legal jeopardy," said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak. The state's attorney general has officially asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for guidance.

Gregoire said she is interested in working with other governors to push for a change in federal law to reclassify medical marijuana as a Schedule 2 substance, putting it on par with addictive but accepted drugs such as morphine or oxycodone.

**Imosted** · 05-03-2011, 12:46 PM

Bros just move to Canada, you wont be disappointed.

**Prince** · 05-03-2011, 12:49 PM

I thought I remember Obama giving a direct order to the Feds to stop pursuing this...

**yerg** · 05-03-2011, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Prince

I thought I remember Obama giving a direct order to the Feds to stop pursuing this...

Yes I heard taht also. just after he became president..

**myCATpowerlifts** · 05-03-2011, 02:22 PM

Sweet!!!!!!
Let's throw the most docile and happy people into prison..
Or better yet, the sick and dying who are seeking relief NATURALLY.

Jesus fucking christ. We need more ANTI GOV PROTESTS

**Prince** · 05-03-2011, 02:34 PM

^Right? I think we would be much better off in this country and the entire world if everyone would just smoke a little weed.

**maniclion** · 05-03-2011, 03:09 PM

"The Department of Justice said two years ago that it would be an inefficient use of funds to target people who are in clear compliance with state law"

Why is our nation broke? Because they keep wasting money on non-issues...

Not only is the DEA wasting manpower on this, but the IRS is running audits on these dispensaries just to pressure them instead of companies and individuals who really throw up flags for Audits......

**Dale Mabry** · 05-03-2011, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Prince

^Right? I think we would be much better off in this country and the entire world if everyone would just smoke a little weed.

I'm doing my part right now, but I'm using a vape, not smoking.

**Prince** · 05-03-2011, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by maniclion

"The Department of Justice said two years ago that it would be an inefficient use of funds to target people who are in clear compliance with state law"

Why is our nation broke? Because they keep wasting money on non-issues...

Not only is the DEA wasting manpower on this, but the IRS is running audits on these dispensaries just to pressure them instead of companies and individuals who really throw up flags for Audits......

not only that, but lets add up the 100's of millions being spent busting steroid users.

**IronAddict** · 05-03-2011, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

I'm doing my part right now, but I'm using a vape, not smoking.

And I'm doing my part right now, but I'm using a pipe, not vaping.

**maniclion** · 05-03-2011, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Prince

not only that, but lets add up the 100's of millions being spent busting steroid users.

And money spent keeping these awful criminals incarcerated....

**myCATpowerlifts** · 05-03-2011, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by IronAddict

And I'm doing my part right now, but I'm using a pipe, not vaping.

I'll be doing my part in a couple hours, hmmm should i go glass, vape, or pape?

**Marat** · 05-03-2011, 04:02 PM

Even if you don't smoke, would you rather live in a neighborhood with 100 potheads or 1 tweaking methhead?

**Big Smoothy** · 05-03-2011, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Prince

I thought I remember Obama giving a direct order to the Feds to stop pursuing this...

I remember this, also.

It seems there has been a change in policy, or something like that.

It's a bit of a u-turn, if so.

**LAM** · 05-03-2011, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Marat

Even if you don't smoke, would you rather live in a neighborhood with 100 potheads or 1 tweaking methhead?

tweakers are just as bad as crackheads, they will steal anything. a woman bought a town-home next to my girl on short sale with her loser 20 something tweaker son about 1.5 years gao. next thing you know there was 5 burglary's in the gated community, they never caught him but he was suspected and ever since security went over to talk to him there have been no more.

**Gena Marie** · 05-03-2011, 07:20 PM

I just don't get the war on drugs. There are so many bigger things that our government should be worrying about. If I choose to use or over use and kill myself, who is our government to try and stop me? IMO, it is such a waste of time and our hard earned tax dollars.

**Big Smoothy** · 05-04-2011, 07:46 AM

The War on Drugs is another fake war against a noun.

War on povery, war on drugs, war on terror.

The "war on drugs" expanded the federal LEOs such as the ATF (Waco) and DEA. Both, but mostly the latter has gone into foreign countries now.

Very expensive, and a definite failure, no matter how you calculate the statistics.

"Freedom." "Let freedom Reign."

**ROID** · 05-04-2011, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by maniclion

"The Department of Justice said two years ago that it would be an inefficient use of funds to target people who are in clear compliance with state law"

Why is our nation broke? Because they keep wasting money on non-issues...

Not only is the DEA wasting manpower on this, but the IRS is running audits on these dispensaries just to pressure them instead of companies and individuals who really throw up flags for Audits......

I thought it was the sole purpose of any government agency to speed money inefficiently.

**living good** · 05-04-2011, 09:13 AM

legalize it

**LAM** · 05-04-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

The War on Drugs is another fake war against a noun.

fake war is right...prescription drug abuse is starting to surpass illegal drug use.

just about everyone I know that has died recently (past 15 years or so) from drug use did so from heroin which is the fallback drug when people can no longer get their oxycotin fix.

**DiamondJ** · 06-11-2011, 02:25 AM

Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific and medical hearings, that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug. In the news that I've heard they mentioned that earlier this week the Connecticut Senate barely approved legislation that decriminalizes having modest quantities of marijuana. N.Y. lawmakers meanwhile are debating a bill which attempts to correct a loophole in earlier laws. Even some proponents of the N.Y. bill see its passage as doubtful. The legislative session ends on June 20. I found this here: N.Y. and Connecticut lawmakers seek to decriminalize marijuana, newstype.com

**Gregzs** · 01-18-2012, 06:46 PM

Gov. Christie mentioned in his speech that he would recommend mandatory treatment programs over prison. The tax stuff is there too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/ny...ines&emc=tha29

**Dark Geared God** · 01-18-2012, 07:17 PM

its election year so it all go's out the window my friend is moving to CO to get sum of that Med MJ

**Dark Geared God** · 01-19-2012, 12:11 AM

i just talk to a friend in Az he said they have them Med Mj stores there..

**vancouver** · 01-19-2012, 12:43 AM

The best documentary you will ever see...

**Dark Geared God** · 01-19-2012, 04:41 PM

**IronAddict** · 01-19-2012, 05:57 PM

Let me tell you guys what's going down in Cali.

Well at least where I live.

Today I needed to re-up, so I took my drive towards my location which is closest to my house.

There is a stretch of road that has 5 dispensaries on it.

They were all raided and closed!

They want Marijuana eradicated.

**ecot3c inside** · 01-19-2012, 06:01 PM

war on drugs is a joke.... i can get someone from columbia to flat pack cocaine in regular mail envelopes scattered in the drop off bin and I would get everyone of those 3.5 gram coke baggies.

**Dale Mabry** · 01-20-2012, 01:05 PM

Iron, how much does a 1/4 of good stuff go for out there?

**IronAddict** · 01-20-2012, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Iron, how much does a 1/4 of good stuff go for out there?

Dale, the beauty of the shit is these guys are not trying to get rich.

They're just trying to help...

I can get a 1/4 of top shelf meds for 85 bucks..

But that goes down to 65 bucks if it's dry..

You can get all sorts, depending on what you wanna pay.

Isn't that Americana..

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