Marijuana use legal, Feds will not prosecute

[BigV]

Obama administration to allow recreational marijuana laws to stand

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration announced Thursday a limited pullback on federal enforcement of marijuana, saying it will not interfere with new state laws that permit recreational use of marijuana.

The Justice Department said it will not seek to veto new state laws in Colorado and Washington that legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and it will not bring federal prosecutions against dispensaries or businesses that sell small amounts of marijuana to adults.

A department official stressed, however, that marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and that U.S. prosecutors will continue to aggressively enforce the law against those who sell marijuana to minors and to criminal gangs that are involved in drug trafficking.

This is a **BIG DEAL** here in Washington. Uncertainty about how the federal authorities would respond to people engaging in activity recently deemed legal under state law but still in conflict with federal law has been responsible for stalling action by local and state authorities and by citizens interested in partaking, if you will, as customers or as entrepreneurs. With this announcement, the fear of prosecution has been eliminated, and those with plans can proceed. Not everyone, not every city or county in Washington wants legal pot consumption and commerce in their locality. Some places have instituted moratoria on these activities, but in my mind, they're simply favoring black market trade in marijuana. One of the main arguments during the election was to legalize, and tax, production and consumption of marijuana. No taxes can be collected on a local score, right?

Still, this announcement represents a further step toward the end of prohibition, and a big one at that.