kill: Feds fire warning shot over pot legalization - U.S. News
usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...feds...pot-legalization7 hours ago
Dec 06, 2012 · By Elizabeth Chuck, ... "Marijuana is new, ... We are a Republic of States which already has their own set of laws along with feds.
By Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News
With marijuana possession now legal in Washington state, and soon in Colorado too, residents face a confusing mishmash of federal and state laws when it comes to whether and where they can get high.
That's because the federal government still bans pot growing and possession, regardless of what state laws say.
Last night, just hours before legislation legalizing pot in her state went into effect, U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan of Washington warned residents that "growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law."
Her words could be a buzzkill for Washington's pot-lovers, yet at midnight -- the moment Washington's law went into effect -- marijuana smokers lit up beneath Seattle's Space Needle, reveling in the joy of living in a state that allows possession of pot, even if state law still says it is illegal to smoke it in public.
"It's too good to be just for the young," Pat Edmonson, 67, of Whidbey Island, Wash., said as she smoked marijuana in Seattle's City Center with a crowd of about 100 others who were lighting up, despite the no-pot-in-public rule.
State leaders have appealed to the Justice Department for guidance.
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes encouraged celebrants to enjoy their highs inside closed doors.
"I think that they should acknowledge this newfound right," he told NPR station KUOW. "I think they should celebrate in the privacy of their homes if they choose to do so. And be thankful that we’re no longer arresting some 10,000 Washingtonians a year in the state of Washington and spending well over $100 million in law enforcement resources on that."
In Colorado, a measuring legalizing marijuana use and possession for those over 21 will go into effect next month. But one place where federal laws will have an impact: college campuses.
"In order not to lose federal funds, we need to comply with federal law," University of Colorado at Boulder spokeswoman Malinda Hiller-Huey told The Denver Post.
College students on campuses across the state will be issued criminal tickets if they are found with marijuana, The Post reported. Off-campus, however, students of legal age will be able to grow and use small amounts of marijuana, per the new amendment, according to the University of Colorado.
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usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...feds...pot-legalization7 hours ago
Dec 06, 2012 · By Elizabeth Chuck, ... "Marijuana is new, ... We are a Republic of States which already has their own set of laws along with feds.
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drugpolicycentral.com/bot/article/usnews.nbcnews9884.htm
... Feds fire warning shot over pot ... Feds fire warning shot over pot legalization. Washington State's new law ... By Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News With marijuana ... - Feds target LA in medical marijuana crackdown. « Rivers of Hope
greatriversofhope.wordpress.com/.../feds-target...marijuana-crackdown
Sep 27, 2012 · Feds target LA in medical marijuana crackdown. ... Elizabeth II; Giver; New York City Department of Education; ... New York City Law Department;
By Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News
With marijuana possession now legal in Washington state, and soon in Colorado too, residents face a confusing mishmash of federal and state laws when it comes to whether and where they can get high.
That's because the federal government still bans pot growing and possession, regardless of what state laws say.
Last night, just hours before legislation legalizing pot in her state went into effect, U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan of Washington warned residents that "growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law."
Her words could be a buzzkill for Washington's pot-lovers, yet at midnight -- the moment Washington's law went into effect -- marijuana smokers lit up beneath Seattle's Space Needle, reveling in the joy of living in a state that allows possession of pot, even if state law still says it is illegal to smoke it in public.
"It's too good to be just for the young," Pat Edmonson, 67, of Whidbey Island, Wash., said as she smoked marijuana in Seattle's City Center with a crowd of about 100 others who were lighting up, despite the no-pot-in-public rule.
State leaders have appealed to the Justice Department for guidance.
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes encouraged celebrants to enjoy their highs inside closed doors.
"I think that they should acknowledge this newfound right," he told NPR station KUOW. "I think they should celebrate in the privacy of their homes if they choose to do so. And be thankful that we’re no longer arresting some 10,000 Washingtonians a year in the state of Washington and spending well over $100 million in law enforcement resources on that."
In Colorado, a measuring legalizing marijuana use and possession for those over 21 will go into effect next month. But one place where federal laws will have an impact: college campuses.
"In order not to lose federal funds, we need to comply with federal law," University of Colorado at Boulder spokeswoman Malinda Hiller-Huey told The Denver Post.
College students on campuses across the state will be issued criminal tickets if they are found with marijuana, The Post reported. Off-campus, however, students of legal age will be able to grow and use small amounts of marijuana, per the new amendment, according to the University of Colorado.
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