Montana Medical Marijuana Under Fire From Feds
The Department of Justice's crackdown on California medical marijuana might be the most well known in the country, but it's worth paying attention to legal developments in Montana, where U.S. Attorneys are also doing battle with dispensaries.
As detailed by the Helena Independent Record, federal prosecutors don't want suspects involved in medical marijuana sales to be able to use Montana state law -- which OKs curative cannabis -- as a legal defense.
So, they are trying to ban any mention of prescription pot -- and any talk of weed-legalizing state statute -- from this and any similar cases.
They counter that the case, which involves Helena-based Montana Cannabis, "is a straightforward matter of illegal drug distribution," the paper notes.
In a legal brief, in fact, U.S. Assistant Attorney Joe Thaggard argued: "The intertwined subjects of medical marijuana, Montana law, and medical necessity have no relevance to determining whether the government has proven the crimes charged in the indictment...Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law ... and can't be dispensed under a prescription."
- Read the entire article at Village Voice.
Comment
The United States vs. The American government
Just an observation from Canada. There appears to more States in favor of legalizing medical marijuana than not.
It does appear that the American government is against it's very own citizens. Majority rules is usually the best democratic policy. That is clearly what doesn't happen in the USA or Canada.