Federal and State Marijuana Enforcement
Department of Justice and State Legalization of Cannabis
In 2009, after 14 states had legalized some form of medical marijuana, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memo to U.S. Attorneys in those states instructing them not to dedicate significant resources to prosecuting patients or distributors in those states. The guidance from Deputy Attorney General David Ogden was the first statement on how the federal government would treat states legalizing marijuana, offering a hands-off approach …
