U.S. Relaxes Opposition to Medical Marijuana

Oct. 20 -- MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The Obama administration has decided it will no longer prosecute medical marijuana users or suppliers, provided they obey the laws of states that allow use of the drug for medicinal purposes.

The new guidelines, which were to be sent in a Justice Department memo to federal prosecutors on Monday, are designed to give priorities to U.S. Attorneys who are pursuing drug offenders.

"As a general matter, pursuit of these priorities should not focus federal resources in your states on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana," the memo states.

During his campaign, President Barack Obama promised to change the government's policy on the use of medical marijuana in those states that allow it. The administration of President George W. Bush had opposed the use of marijuana as medicine.

"This is a huge victory for medical marijuana patients," Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, a nationwide medical marijuana advocacy organization, said in a prepared statement.

"This indicates that President Obama intends to keep his promise not to undermine state medical marijuana laws and represents a significant departure from the policies of the Bush Administration," Sherer added. "We will continue to work with President Obama, the Justice Department and the U.S. Congress to establish a comprehensive national policy, but it's good to know that in the meantime, states can implement medical marijuana laws without interference from the federal government."

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, a group that seeks the legalization of marijuana, said: "The federal government, to some degree, has said 'uncle' in acknowledging both the medical utility of cannabis and acknowledging that there is some clear place in the law for states to have the autonomy to allow for marijuana to be used and, quite logically, that there be a source for it."