U.S. Deputy Lawyer General James Cole issued a new memo that has medical marijuana dispensary owners worried. President Obama’s Justice Department has issued a new memo that is bound to impact the 16 medical marijuana states.
Previously, The Obama administration signaled that it would not use the Justice Department resources to prosecute healthcare marijuana sufferers and caregivers. U.S. Deputy Lawyer Dan Ogden issued a memo that that the Obama administration did not want to use useful resources to target marijuana dispensaries and individuals if they had been obeying state law.
The U.S. Department of Justice has now reversed its position and indicated that it will prosecute health-related marijuana patients and dispensaries. This amazing reversal has the medical marijuana patients and dispensaries in an up roar. The minimum punishment under the federal system is a mandatory five years in prison.
Under the preceding Dan Ogden memo, marijuana dispensaries flourished. In the state of Colorado, dispensaries opened at an astonishing rate. Prior to medical marijuana dispensaries there were only 12 marijuana dispensaries in the state of Colorado. Following the Ogden memo, the quantity of dispensaries improve to over 800 by way of out the state of Colorado.
Medical marijuana sufferers and dispensary owner are feeling betrayed with president Obama’s new stance toward medical marijuana. On the campaign trail in 2008, Obama personally stated that he would not use the Justice Department to target medical marijuana individuals and their caregivers as extended as they were complying with state laws. The marijuana community is now under attack and in a state of panic.
Marijuana dispensary owners are now on code red alert. At any time, the federal government came come and shut them down. They are organizing with their sufferers to protest and raids that may happen from any federal agencies. These plans contain having individuals show up throughout any raids with picket sign to help bring consideration to this new policy. Individuals are encouraged to make contact with their local media, tv station, radio station and to video tape any law enforcement encounter.
Will this do any fantastic? Only time will tell but its improved than just staying under the radar and hoping items will adjust. The healthcare marijuana movement has had to fight each step of the way and they are not about to stop now. They only way to try to get traction is to bring this new position to the public.
The dispensary owners are attempting to force the government out of the medicine cabinets of their sufferers. They face serious consequences to continue to serve their individuals. Undoubtedly, there will be some dispensary owners that will shut down and close shop. But there will be those that step up to the challenge and open and expand their present operation.