Federal agents raid marijuana dispensaries in Washington

[RainDog]

60. sure. I was hoping you'd actually make your own effort

but, since you won't... here you go.

http://boingboing.net/2013/04/16/congressional-research-service.html

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is part of the Library of Congress, and it provides "policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation." This month the CRS issued a report that says Colorado and Washington (where cannabis is legal, according to state laws) can't be coerced to enforcing federal cannabis laws. "While the federal government can ban what it wants," reports Reason, "the Tenth Amendment allows the states to opt out of participating in the law or assisting in enforcement in any way, leaving federal officials to do the heavy lifting themselves." From the report, State Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Selected Legal Issues:

Although the federal government may use its power of the purse to encourage states to adopt certain criminal laws, the federal government is limited in its ability to directly influence state policy by the Tenth Amendment, which prevents the federal government from directing states to enact specific legislation, or requiring state officials to enforce federal law. As such, the fact that the federal government has criminalized conduct does not mean that the state, in turn, must also criminalize or prosecute that same conduct.

Here's the full research report from the Congressional Research Service - http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43034.pdf

This link breaks down some of the issues in easily digestible form - http://www.drugwarrant.com/2013/04/congressional-research-service-says-not-much-feds-can-do-about-legalized-marijuana/

The post, above, pulls out many of the relevant quotes regarding this issue.

Congressional Research Service says not much Feds can do about legalized marijuana - more at the link, above.

From the Pew Charitable Trust - http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/report-no-easy-options-for-feds-in-legal-marijuana-states-85899468191

The federal government may not have much choice but to continue its mellow attitude toward legal marijuana in Washington and Colorado.

New laws legalizing recreational marijuana use in Washington and Colorado probably fall under the states' "power to decide what is criminal and what is not," according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The report analyzes court precedent and lays out what the Justice Department and the Obama administration might do to enforce federal law now that several states have passed marijuana laws that contradict it.

The agency's conclusion: The feds face an array of unappealing options.

The Justice Department could choose to challenge the marijuana laws in federal court, according to CRS. However, the researchers cast doubt on the argument that that the state laws preempt federal authority, or directly violate the intent of the federal Controlled Substances Act, which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, just as dangerous as heroin and LSD.