US Deputy AG James Cole

From nj.com -

State medical marijuana programs and the people who work for them are not likely to run afoul of federal law if they keep their operations small and controlled, and don’t allow growers to create “industrial marijuana cultivation centers,” according to an eagerly-awaited letter from the Obama administration.

Read the entire story online.

Pres Obama

My message posted to the DPFCA listserv tonight:

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is encouraged to learn that the Obama Administration will take a major step forward in defining its policy on medical cannabis tomorrow, when the US Department of Justice publishes a memo giving new instructions to federal prosecutors and law enforcement.

(Read the ASA announcement and download DOJ memo)

ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and Director of Government Affairs Caren Woodson met with officials at the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, last week to discuss the new Administration’s policy and the impact of federal interference in states where medical cannabis is legal. We are confident that the Administration is moving in the right direction and hearing our concerns.

ASA sent policy recommendations to President Obama in January asking him to end federal raids in medical cannabis states, encourage advanced clinical trials, and remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Our recommendations also call for compassionate leadership by allowing defendants to make an affirmative defense in federal court and ensuring the accuracy of information disseminated by federal agencies.

We hope that tomorrow’s memo is a starting point for developing a federal policy that provides real and lasting protection for patients. ASA is committed to continued engagement with the Administration, federal agencies, and Congress to be sure that happens.

Congratulations are in order to everyone who has worked so hard to help create a more compassionate federal policy. I would like to say a special thank you to Steph Sherer and Caren Woodson for their timely and strategic work with the new Administration.