U.S. Court of Appeals: Medical Marijuana Patients Can’t Be Prosecuted
The ruling is a huge victory for medical marijuana patients, growers and dispensaries. On the heels of last week's announcement by the DEA that marijuana will still remain a schedule 1 controlled substance (which means that it has no medical benefits), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled that the federal government can NOT prosecute medical marijuana users, growers and dispensaries that are following state laws.
However, there's a catch: Congress could, potentially, drop this rider from the next appropriations bill, which would allow the feds to continue to send medical marijuana users to prison. And, if I know Congress like I know Congress, I have no doubt that they'll drop it. Their war against medical marijuana is comical, but effective.
Wonder how this will all turn out?