Federal Regulation of Marijuana: Not a High Priority

President Obama gives his opinion on
 state's legalization of marijuana.
(Courtesy of AP Photo)

Marijuana users of Colorado and Washington may again rejoice in the recently passed legislation this past November, legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the two states. Last Friday President Obama stated his opinion on the issue stating that federal law enforcement agencies have “bigger fish to fry" than prosecuting marijuana users in those states.

The news comes with some surprise due to Obama’s current record on the issue. During his term in office, he put more force towards regulation of dispensaries in California and had many close down due to improper running of the businesses. In California dispensaries are supposed to operate solely to provide medical use for those with illnesses such as cancer, insomnia, and eating disorders, not for recreational use. Compared to his predecessor, George W. Bush, President Obama was much stricter on the issue. According to CNN, “Last year, law enforcement agents seized 3.9 million plants in the Golden State and were poised to collect more this year”.

However, as other issues arise and continue such as our country’s fiscal situation and foreign affairs with countries such as Iran and Syria, Obama’s indifferent reaction to the issue may be considered well-suited. Obama further stated in his interview with ABC "This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law. I head up the executive branch; we're supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we're going to need to have is a conversation about how do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that it's legal?"

This issue is an ongoing problem because marijuana remains illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. Yet more states are going towards the trend of giving partial legality to use of the marijuana. Currently 18 states and the District of Columbia have allowed legal use of the drug for medical reasons, including Massachusetts who just passed a medical proposition this past November. According to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), Marijuana is a category 1 drug. Other on the lists includes drugs such as ecstasy, mushrooms, and cocaine. Category 1 drugs are classified as dangerous and having no medical purpose or benefits.