I have written on this topic many times and I am pleased to report that the Obama administration announced on Thursday that it will not prosecute those who possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes in states where it is permitted. This is a huge departure from previous enforcement by the federal government.
However, a department official stressed, however, that marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and that U.S. prosecutors will continue to aggressively enforce the law against those who sell marijuana to minors and to criminal gangs that are involved in drug trafficking.
There are presently twenty states which currently permit possession of marijuana for medicinal services and two, Colorado and Washington, which permit recreational use.
This is a major step to finally admit that marijuana should be treated the same as alcohol and tobacco. Presently, both the federal government and the several states realize tremendous tax revenue on both these "vice" products, and depending on how Colorado and Washington finally achieve financial security from taxing pot for recreational use, that will provide the blueprint for other states to follow suit.
But the usage of marijuana for medicinal purposes should definitely be advanced through the remaining states via the 10th amendment. It has been proven over and over again that the benefits of pot for those who suffer from cancer and other painful illnesses, outweighs any detriment caused by its criminalization.
A huge step has been taken. Let's now take the right path to resolve pot possession as a crime and pursue the drug issues that really matter, like heroin and prescription drug abuse.
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