By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A federal court in California criticized the DEA’s interpretation of a recent medical marijuana bill in a ruling that could compromise federal prosecutions of marijuana cases, the Washington Post reports.
The court blasted the DEA’s interpretation of a bill that barred the federal government from using federal funds to “prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.”
But the DEA, in an interpretation of the bill that the court said “defies language and logic,” contended the amendment did not prevent actions against individuals and businesses.
Marijuana advocates said the ruling may finally end the federal crackdown on marijuana in states that prohibit its use for medicine.
“It’s great to see the judicial branch finally starting to hold the Justice Department accountable for its willful violation of Congress’s intent to end federal interference with state medical marijuana laws,” said Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority.
