In a landmark decision on this week, a federal court found that the federal government has no standing to block the legal operation of medical cannabis dispensaries, provided they comply with state laws.
The decision was a direct result of a congressional act last December, in which Congress cut off federal funding for the prosecution of cannabis clubs, provided they were operating within current state law.
The landmark decision came in the case of Lynette Shaw, who ironically opened the first licensed medical marijuana dispensary in the United States. Her dispensary was ultimately raided and shut down by the DEA in 2011.
Shaw has been in court over 100 times fighting the legality of the closure since her dispensary was shuttered, according to NBC. The decision by U.S. Judge Charles Breyer ended the long-running battle she has been engaged in with the federal government.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has 30 days to file an appeal to Breyer’s ruling.
With an ever-growing body of research indicating the extreme medicinal benefits of cannabis, efforts to continue lining the pockets of the profiteers of the prison-industrial-complex by criminalizing non-criminal behavior are doomed to fail.
The reality is that people no longer believe the “Reefer Madness” hysteria still being propagated to the masses by corporate media. This decision by Judge Breyer highlights the changes that have been made and represents the future of medical marijuana in America.
