Tucked deep inside the 1,603-page federal spending measure is a
provision that effectively ends the federal government's prohibition on
medical marijuana and signals a major shift in drug policy.
LA Times - The
bill's passage over the weekend marks the first time Congress has
approved nationally significant legislation backed by legalization
advocates. It brings almost to a close two decades of tension between
the states and Washington over medical use of marijuana.
Under the provision, states where medical pot is legal would no
longer need to worry about federal drug agents raiding retail
operations. Agents would be prohibited from doing so.
The Obama administration has largely followed that rule
since last year as a matter of policy. But the measure approved as part
of the spending bill, which President Obama plans to sign this week,
will codify it as a matter of law.
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