Feds Won’t Arrest Medical Marijuana Users and Suppliers

Medical Marijuana USA (illustration norml-ul.org)

Slate – According to new guidelines to be issued today, prosecutors will be told simply to ignore medical marijuana users and suppliers who comply with state law. Agents should, however, go after those who aren’t complying with state law or who might be using medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes.

This marks a shift from the Bush administration, which vowed to continue to enforce federal drug laws regardless of what states may have decided for themselves.
Currently, 14 states allow some use of medical marijuana.

“This is a major step forward,” said the communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that advocates for the decriminalization of marijuana use. “This change in policy moves the federal government dramatically toward respecting scientific and practical reality.”