Marijuana Legalized in Colorado and Washington, but Against Federal Law

DEA may prosecute newly-legal marijuana possession

Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use, in direct contradiction with federal law. As of now, both states now allow adults (21 and older) to carry up to an ounce of marijuana without suffering criminal penalties.

The question now is how the Drug Enforcement Agency will react.

And react it has: a spokesman tells Reason its "enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged,", and that it's reviewing both bills.

The DEA isn't interested in bothering people who depend on the substance for medicine, but is concerned "with people who are using it as a pretext to become large-scale drug dealers," said Deputy Attorney General James Cole last month. But In Colorado and Washington, there is no medical pretext - so it's likely the DEA will take a dim view.

But the DEA may find enforcing federal marijuana laws difficult; DEA agents currently number around 5,500 - too few to reasonably bust businesses which grow and sell in Colorado and Washington.

Via Business Insider

How should the federal government handle Colorado and Washington's new pot laws?

[kirbstomp1]

They need to GTFO. All they want to do is control citizens.

[1hardcorerepub]

wait a minute. you were part of that crowd telling me to get over Obama being elected as president, even after I clearly stated several times Obama might be the commander in chief, but he is not my president.

And now you want government to stay out of your life? You exemplify everything that is wrong with democrat/socialist/liberal ideologies and agenda.

America truly lost last night.

[MRMacrum]

@1hardcorerepub - "You exemplify everything that is wrong with democrat/socialist/liberal ideologies and agenda" And you exemplify the Right's unfathomable ability to add 2 +2 and come up with 5.

[1hardcorerepub]

@kirbstomp1 Well again, judging by your profile and the things you voted on, you supported democrat ideology. Which leads me to believe your caucus would favor democrats.

[classychazy]

They need to leave these States alone they have much bigger fish to fry. Crystal meth and the prescription drug abuse epidemice going on should keep them busy for atleast a decade! That's where your real trouble and crime is not smoking a joint!

[ConserveUSA]

They need to get tougher laws on Crystal Meth which is killing America instead of Marijuana!

[MBernard]

They need to stay out of it if they're not for it.

[MRMacrum]

The DEA should do nothing. But they will most likely force some "examples" through the justice system. After all, laws like this threaten their viability and take hug chunks out of their relevance.

[truthsayer]

I agree the DEA has got to see this as an assault on it's power and will try to assert it's self as the supreme authority and suppress the vote by making harsh examples of a few people. To give up power even a little to those who have it is unthinkable and scares the crap out of a government that feels it must control every aspect of it's citizens life's. But it will all be to no avail to many states are moving to legalize and with out state enforcement the feds will be to over whelmed to have a significant impact which has already been proven by the amount of success they have had so far with it's prohibition polices.

[Veritas]

Why should the DEA and the CIA make all the money selling pot?

[EMS_Servant]

I think that as long as the state has things well regulated the DEA should sit back and chill.

[DARSB]

1. Modify that 1937 treaty that classifies MJ as a narcotic, 2. Ask the FDA to change MJ's Schedule I status, 3. Slap a 0.01% tax on bongs, Zig Zag papers and vaporizers.

[stepped_in_it]

The federal handling of these states "wishes" along with it's handling of Arizona's laws about illegal immigration are just the beginning cracks in the UNITED States of America! The Federal's "place" here has VERY FEW jobs. Protection of the united states and it's borders, multi-state hi-ways/byway and water ways to name a few. I have seen this conflict coming for years. Are we (in my life time...maybe 20 yrs left) going to see secession of some disgruntled states? Except for the slavery issues, we now have 3 of the top 5 reasons it happened approx. 150 years ago....1. Economic and social differences between the North and the South. 2. States versus federal rights. 5. The election of Abraham Lincoln.(substitute Obama for Lincoln and reelection for election). Just my thoughts (and NO, I'm not a southern "rebel")

[GetAwake]

The only reason that an Obama-victory might be good for us: Holder is WEAK, ego won't allow O to replace him, and the Constitution is on our side. Bring it on.

[Fishbone345]

Preach it!!

[CommonSense]

If Obama knows what's good for his party in 2014 he will have the DEA avoid these states.

[Mbjhug]

The DEA just needs to be dissolved completely. It's a complete waste of my tax money. They need to take a good hard look at the dominoes tumbling down in their direction, and embrace the inevitable change sooner than later. The American people will make cannabis legalization a reality with the biggest middle finger in history to the government suppressors.

[Dotjones]

Marijuana should be decriminalzed in the US.The DEA spends billions trying to stop it to no avail. Why is that you ask. Because so many of us know it's not anymore harmfull than any other bad habit. Legalizing it will save million of dollars and get rid of the Cartels just as surely as the repeal of prohibition did with the whiskey runners.I know organized crime still exsists but no longer are people being shot in the streets over it. Time to get going forward.

[Faceman]

good for co and wa now we need the federal government to step in and legalize it and we will have a wonder medicine

[Rodney]

The federal government should do what its does best (NOTHING) and stay out of it.
Everyone should just start growing as much as you can, whether they like it or not. Its a plant, if you like it then grow it and smoke it or don't smoke it. this is supposed be a free country, Remember? If i want to grow pot and smoke it I WILL its my life and my body and ill do with it as i see fit. I will not tolerate anyone telling me what a can and cannot do.
I don't do coke, meth, bath-salts, heroin or any other stupid junk man made crap.
I have a friend that suffers from fibromyalgia, the pain med's she gets from the doctors do not work, all they do is tare up her insides, so know she is given even more pills to help with that and so-on. all these drugs just kill people slowly from the inside out.
So she stopped all the crap drugs the government wants here to take and started smoking pot after some research and now NO PAIN AND NO PILLS. she was able to take her grandson to lunch for the first time in 5 years with not problem, no pain.
She does not like smoking it but if it were legalized then she would be able to get it in other forms such as, Butter that she could cook with or in some other forms that she could use. This is no Bull, Iv seen this happen with my own eyes and it works, So to all you people out there saying there is no medical use for marijuana, YOU ARE WRONG.

[tomincali]

here in ca the state and counties pull dirty tricks,folks can get a license to grow legally then the feds come in with the locals help and take it.win win for gov when the play both sides.

[Chromalord]

The feds on 60-Minutes said they dont prosecute because they simply dont have the manpower. These 2 new states are a victory because it will include even more growers and users ( hate that word- sounds insidious) into the mix. Eventually the feds will see this is a futile and pointless endeavor and hopefully Obama will introduce legislation to keep the feds out of it. If it falls under state jurisdiction, more and more will jump in to take advantage of a new revenue mechanism. My only questions is, will privatized and gov-subsidized penal systems fall prey to owners of these institutions. The gov will have to restructure its voucher system with them.

[ccdc]

I think Marijuana should be legalized in all US states, then maybe some people will get off of Meth, Crack, Cocaine, prescription drugs and other illegal bad drugs and use Marijunana. Wasn't that simple?

[Gohon7]

....Federal Law, Federal, Not state... case closed.

[Fishbone345]

Good point, ignore that whole States Rights section of the Constitution. Whats a dusty old document mean anyways?

[Gohon7]

@Fishbone345 No I mean That Says Federal Law, Today, We are acquired and Pinned to state laws, let the states decide, State Law today... so State... but that's my opinion, so you have your's

[FollowTheMoney]

GTFO. Turn DEA agents into Border patrol agents.