Jacob Bell
New Member
With the four top federal prosecutors in California recently announcing a crackdown on medical marijuana, it's time for some straight talk on the topic.
The abrupt reversal in federal policy begs quite a few questions, including why this is suddenly the focus of the state's four U.S. attorneys. Seems like they might have a few more pressing issues on their plates.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has asked federal prosecutors to tread carefully and not overreach in their crackdown on California's pot dispensaries, despite the vagueness of the state's medical marijuana laws. If the feds are going to crack down, the concentration should be on traffickers abusing the law meant to help legitimate patients. Fair enough. There's no doubt that California's medical marijuana laws are openly and regularly abused.
However, threatening cities like Arcata and Eureka -- which are attempting to create straightforward guidelines to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries -- and the dispensaries that are trying to work within those guidelines is misguided.
It appears to be a strangely timed attempt by the federal government to take control of a burgeoning industry that crept out of the shadows after President Obama's administration declared in 2009 that the raids prevalent under the Bush administration were going to be restricted to those who "use medical marijuana laws as a shield."
Regardless of how one feels about medical marijuana, more and more states are legalizing it, and polls show more and more people support that move.
The convergence of laws today is unworkable. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal. In California and 15 other states, medical marijuana is legal. Now, local cities and the county of Humboldt are spending an inordinate amount trying to figure out how to navigate the two.
The time for straight talk is now. The ambiguities of California's medical marijuana laws need to be cleaned up. That needs to happen on the state level. But the federal government needs to come clean about what it might accept -- and stick to it.
With our economy in shambles, it seems all this energy could be better spent on other issues.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: times-standard.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Times-Standard
Website: Time for straight talk on marijuana
The abrupt reversal in federal policy begs quite a few questions, including why this is suddenly the focus of the state's four U.S. attorneys. Seems like they might have a few more pressing issues on their plates.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has asked federal prosecutors to tread carefully and not overreach in their crackdown on California's pot dispensaries, despite the vagueness of the state's medical marijuana laws. If the feds are going to crack down, the concentration should be on traffickers abusing the law meant to help legitimate patients. Fair enough. There's no doubt that California's medical marijuana laws are openly and regularly abused.
However, threatening cities like Arcata and Eureka -- which are attempting to create straightforward guidelines to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries -- and the dispensaries that are trying to work within those guidelines is misguided.
It appears to be a strangely timed attempt by the federal government to take control of a burgeoning industry that crept out of the shadows after President Obama's administration declared in 2009 that the raids prevalent under the Bush administration were going to be restricted to those who "use medical marijuana laws as a shield."
Regardless of how one feels about medical marijuana, more and more states are legalizing it, and polls show more and more people support that move.
The convergence of laws today is unworkable. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal. In California and 15 other states, medical marijuana is legal. Now, local cities and the county of Humboldt are spending an inordinate amount trying to figure out how to navigate the two.
The time for straight talk is now. The ambiguities of California's medical marijuana laws need to be cleaned up. That needs to happen on the state level. But the federal government needs to come clean about what it might accept -- and stick to it.
With our economy in shambles, it seems all this energy could be better spent on other issues.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: times-standard.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Times-Standard
Website: Time for straight talk on marijuana
