Legalized marijuana initiatives leave federal government wrestling with policy

The Washington Post (US)
Saturday, November 10, 2012
marijuana-plantSenior administration officials acknowledged that they are wrestling with how to respond to the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, which directly violates federal drug law and is sparking a broad debate about the direction of U.S. drug policy. The most likely outcome will be that the Justice Department will prevent the laws from going into effect by announcing that federal law preempts the state initiatives, which would make marijuana legal for recreational use. But the White House and the Justice Department have not made a decision yet.