Medical Marijuana Advocates Sue Over Federal Crackdown

Medical marijuana advocates on Friday and Monday filed lawsuits in California's four federal judicial districts seeking court orders to halt U.S. attorneys from shutting down dispensaries in the state. Last month, U.S. attorneys sent letters to landlords and owners of medical marijuana dispensaries in California asking them to shut down, noting that although medical marijuana is legal under a 1996 state law, the dispensaries are in violation of federal drug laws. Two weeks ago, the medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access filed a similar federal lawsuit arguing that the federal crackdown subverts state and local medical marijuana statutes. The latest lawsuits argue that the federal government's actions violate an agreement between federal prosecutors and a medical marijuana collective in Santa Cruz in which the Department of Justice said it would not use federal resources to target medical marijuana patients who comply with state law.

"Medical Marijuana Crackdown Prompts Lawsuits" (Cadelago, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/7).
"Medical Marijuana Advocates Sue To Halt Dispensary Closings" (Hoeffel, Los Angeles Times, 11/7).
"California Dispensaries Moving To Block U.S. Marijuana Crackdown" (Eckholm, New York Times, 11/7).

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