Summary: As long as a medical marijuana dispensary is following its state laws, the federal government can’t go after them.
A federal judge has ruled against the Department of Justice in a case that will change the world of pot forever. The end result? When a marijuana operator follows its state laws, the feds won’t interfere.
Lynette Shaw opened a small marijuana dispensary in the San Francisco area in 1996. It was the first licensed location in San Francisco and the nation.
Everything went well until 2011, when federal prosecutors shut her down with an injunction. Since then, Shaw has been in and out of court over 100 times to fight the closure.
On Monday Judge Charles Breyer ruled the injunction against Shaw is unenforceable. According to the judge, Congress cut off funding for medical marijuana prosecutions last December, signifying its intent to let marijuana dispensaries operate within the bounds of state law. Attorney Greg Anton says, “I think it’s a tipping point for medical marijuana.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has 30 days to appeal the ruling, but pot advocates are optimistic the decision is final. “The time of the marijuana war is done. It’s done,” Shaw says.
The marijuana maven hopes to reopen her medical dispensary in Fairfax with the aid of a GoFundMe campaign. The campaign is called, “WE WON & stopped Feds’ MedMJ War!”
As of the time of publication, they had raised $2,407 of their $10,000 goal.
Photo: wikipedia.org