Colorado Medical Marijuana Law Captured the US Attorney’s Attention

Colorado US Attorney warned the state’s lawmakers that federal prosecutions may arise as the pending legislation that adjusts the laws of the existing medical marijuana bill.

Attorney General John Suthers of Colorado received a letter from US Attorney John Walsh which is a response from the attorney general’s request to clarify the issue that the pending marijuana law modification which is now taken into consideration bin House Bill 1043 can cause conflict with the federal treatment of medical marijuana use.

In Walsh’s letter, he wrote”the Department of Justice is still on the go to fully implement the Controlled Substances Act and the federal law in all states. Thus, if the provisions of H.B. 1043 are enacted and become law, the Department will continue to carefully consider all appropriate civil and criminal legal remedies to prevent manufacture and distribution of marijuana and other associated violations.”

The sponsor of the bill, Senator Pat Steadman, said on his mind that he thinks that the letter General Suthers sent only blurs the federal Department of Justice’s stand on medical marijuana instead of clarifying it. He also added, “We have had mixed messages from the federal government on this. I think this casts a big shadow upon this industry in Colorado. It does cause some uncertainty and trepidation.”

Under federal law, selling and using of marijuana is illegal. However, many states already allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes such as in Colorado.

The medical marijuana industry in Colorado was a success for the last two years.  This was partially because the state’s constitutional amendment allowing the use of medical marijuana, state court decided to expand the use of medical marijuana and the federal agents’ low priority over the medical marijuana usage in states. While the marijuana dispensaries and the users of marijuana multiplies each time, the legislature kept trying on creating some ground rules regarding this bombshell industry.

The purpose of the current bill sponsored by Sen. Pat Steadman and Representative Tom Massey was to fix and close the loopholes of the state’s medical marijuana law. However, this bill alarmed the concern of Suthers and other law enforcers as it gets pushed through the committee process.

 

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