| Phoenix New Times |
The puzzling new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced on October 7 by four U.S. Attorneys in California continues to send shockwaves through the industry. Safe access by seriously ill patients is endangered in many locales after the stunning reversal by the Obama Administration, which had initially pledged to respect state medical marijuana laws.
It seemed things were just going too well after the “Ogden Memo,” which announced the feds wouldn’t prioritize going after providers and patients who were abiding by state laws. Medical marijuana bloomed into an industry worth up to $100 billion (it’s difficult to know the exact figure), and apparently it got too big too fast for the prohibitionists.
What, exactly, happened to the Obama Administration’s medical marijuana policy?
What’s behind this strange about-face with which the President has alienated a sizable portion of his constituency?
Ray Stern at Phoenix New Times takes a look at the issue.