U.S. Deputy Lawyer General James Cole issued a new memo that has health-related marijuana dispensary owners worried. President Obama’s Justice Division has issued a new memo that is bound to effect the 16 healthcare marijuana states.
Previously, The Obama administration signaled that it would not use the Justice Department sources to prosecute health-related marijuana individuals and caregivers. U.S. Deputy Lawyer Dan Ogden issued a memo that that the Obama administration did not want to use beneficial sources to target marijuana dispensaries and sufferers if they have been obeying state law.
The U.S. Department of Justice has now reversed its position and indicated that it will prosecute health-related marijuana individuals and dispensaries. Queens Dispensary has the health-related marijuana individuals and dispensaries in an up roar. The minimum punishment under the federal method is a mandatory five years in prison.
Below the prior Dan Ogden memo, marijuana dispensaries flourished. In the state of Colorado, dispensaries opened at an astonishing rate. Just before the Ogden memo there were only 12 marijuana dispensaries in the state of Colorado. Immediately after the Ogden memo, the number of dispensaries increase to more than 800 through out the state of Colorado.
Medical marijuana patients and dispensary owner are feeling betrayed with president Obama’s new stance toward medical marijuana. On the campaign trail in 2008, Obama personally stated that he would not use the Justice Department to target health-related marijuana individuals and their caregivers as lengthy as they had been complying with state laws. The marijuana community is now under attack and in a state of panic.
Marijuana dispensary owners are now on code red alert. At any time, the federal government came come and shut them down. They are organizing with their patients to protest and raids that may happen from any federal agencies. These plans include things like getting patients show up in the course of any raids with picket sign to aid bring interest to this new policy. Individuals are encouraged to get in touch with their regional media, tv station, radio station and to video tape any law enforcement encounter.
Will this do any very good? Only time will inform but its better than just staying beneath the radar and hoping points will adjust. The medical marijuana movement has had to fight every single step of the way and they are not about to quit now. They only way to attempt to obtain traction is to bring this new position to the public.
The dispensary owners are trying to force the government out of the medicine cabinets of their patients. They face extreme consequences to continue to serve their sufferers. Undoubtedly, there will be some dispensary owners that will shut down and close shop. But there will be those that step up to the challenge and open and expand their existing operation.