Arizona Republic: “Arizona’s top federal prosecutor launched a pre-emptive strike against the state’s medical-marijuana industry Monday, warning prospective pot growers and sellers that they could be prosecuted under federal drug-trafficking laws. U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, joining a growing chorus of federal law officers across the country, said his office will abide by a 2009 Justice Department memo that discourages prosecution of medical-marijuana users. But he said anyone who possesses or distributes marijuana is still violating federal law. And he singled out large operations.”
The story said that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer does not intend to stop the implementation of Arizona’s medical marijuana laws. Maricopa County Attorney William Montgomery said this about Dennis Burke’s letter:
“I think this is the end of the medical-marijuana movement. You can’t do a wink and a nod toward unlawful conduct and not have a consequence.”
Read the story. It contains more stupid statements made by Arizona medical marijuana law pundits about the significance of Dennis Burke’s letter. The story also says:
“Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said Burke’s letter is reason enough for Humble to stop issuing marijuana cards and halt plans for granting dispensary permits. ‘I hope he doesn’t think the Legislature is going to bail him out if he facilitates the distribution of marijuana,’ Kavanagh said. ‘The federal government has told him that this is an illegal operation. I don’t think they have to do the math for him’.”
