U.S. Deputy Attorney Basic 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 health-related marijuana states.
Previously, The Obama administration signaled that it would not use the Justice Division sources to prosecute medical marijuana patients and caregivers. U.S. Deputy Attorney Dan Ogden issued a memo that that the Obama administration did not want to use important resources to target marijuana dispensaries and individuals if they had been obeying state law.
The U.S. Division of Justice has now reversed its position and indicated that it will prosecute medical marijuana individuals and dispensaries. medical marijuana dispensaries has the medical marijuana sufferers and dispensaries in an up roar. The minimum punishment under the federal program is a mandatory 5 years in prison.
Under the prior Dan Ogden memo, marijuana dispensaries flourished. In the state of Colorado, dispensaries opened at an astonishing price. Before the Ogden memo there were only 12 marijuana dispensaries in the state of Colorado. After the Ogden memo, the number of dispensaries enhance to more than 800 by way of out the state of Colorado.
Healthcare marijuana sufferers and dispensary owner are feeling betrayed with president Obama’s new stance toward healthcare marijuana. On the campaign trail in 2008, Obama personally stated that he would not use the Justice Division to target health-related marijuana patients and their caregivers as long as they had been complying with state laws. The marijuana neighborhood 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 involve possessing sufferers show up for the duration of any raids with picket sign to assist bring attention to this new policy. Sufferers are encouraged to get in touch with their local media, television station, radio station and to video tape any law enforcement encounter.
Will this do any superior? Only time will tell but its greater than just staying under the radar and hoping factors will change. The healthcare marijuana movement has had to fight every step of the way and they are not about to stop now. They only way to attempt to achieve traction is to bring this new position to the public.
The dispensary owners are attempting 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 these that step up to the challenge and open and expand their current operation.