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How are the authorities reacting to pot legalization in Washington and Colorado? Well, Attorney General Eric Holder says "I don't know [if I'll be coming back for four more years]", according to a newly released video of Mr. Holder speaking at a law school. Many see that as the warm-up before the departure of the embattled AG, who oversaw a largely ineffective crackdown on medical marijuana.
Kristen Gwynne at AlterNet does a great round-up of all other responses today, noting that the governor of Colorado said, "The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don't break out the Cheetos or goldfish too quickly."
A DEA spokesperson also told Reason.com that federal law remains unchanged, and that seems to be the talking point going around: that it's still illegal federally, which is true. (But there's about 5,500 DEA agents in America, or roughly the number of stoners at UC Santa Barbara. Federal law is only as valid as the locals who enforce 99 percent of it.)
A spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Colorado spoke of more of the same enforcement to the Denver Post. That would mean keeping pot facilities away from schools, and interrupting large-scale manufacture and trafficking.
Lastly, US Attorney James Cole had a very measured response to 60 Minutes last week, saying "We're going to take a look at whether or not there are dangers to the community from the sale of marijuana and we're going to go after those dangers."
The most lippy people in this debate tend to have no influence over it, however. Professional drug war hawk Kevin Sabet loves to talk about how, "Once these states actually try to implement these laws, we will see an effort by the feds to shut it down."
Some reporters seem to think the feds could sue the states, but, as many legal scholars note, the states don't have to enforce federal marijuana law. That's how alcohol prohibition ended. More reactions as they come in.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: David Downs
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Smell the Truth » How the Feds Are Reacting to Pot Legalization?: Holder May Step Down
Kristen Gwynne at AlterNet does a great round-up of all other responses today, noting that the governor of Colorado said, "The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don't break out the Cheetos or goldfish too quickly."
A DEA spokesperson also told Reason.com that federal law remains unchanged, and that seems to be the talking point going around: that it's still illegal federally, which is true. (But there's about 5,500 DEA agents in America, or roughly the number of stoners at UC Santa Barbara. Federal law is only as valid as the locals who enforce 99 percent of it.)
A spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Colorado spoke of more of the same enforcement to the Denver Post. That would mean keeping pot facilities away from schools, and interrupting large-scale manufacture and trafficking.
Lastly, US Attorney James Cole had a very measured response to 60 Minutes last week, saying "We're going to take a look at whether or not there are dangers to the community from the sale of marijuana and we're going to go after those dangers."
The most lippy people in this debate tend to have no influence over it, however. Professional drug war hawk Kevin Sabet loves to talk about how, "Once these states actually try to implement these laws, we will see an effort by the feds to shut it down."
Some reporters seem to think the feds could sue the states, but, as many legal scholars note, the states don't have to enforce federal marijuana law. That's how alcohol prohibition ended. More reactions as they come in.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: David Downs
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Smell the Truth » How the Feds Are Reacting to Pot Legalization?: Holder May Step Down