Changes

Several states have legalized "medical" marijuana.  Under the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration, the federal government ignored such state laws, viewing them as unconstitutional interference with federal law.  [[California]]'s law was overturned by the [[Supreme Court]] in the case [[Gonzales v. Raich]],<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1454.ZO.html Full text of majority opinion, ''Gonzales v. Raich'']</ref> which said that Congress can "regulate purely local activities that are part of an economic 'class of activities' that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce."  This decision has been criticized by numerous [[conservative]]s and [[libertarian]]s as an unwarranted expansion of Federal power.  Also, [[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]] has directed Federal prosecutors to avoid prosecuting activities legal under such state laws.<ref>"[http://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/medical-marijuana.pdf Memo to Justice Department attorneys]", 19 October 2009</ref>

Several states have legalized "medical" marijuana.  Under the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration, the federal government ignored such state laws, viewing them as unconstitutional interference with federal law.  [[California]]'s law was overturned by the [[Supreme Court]] in the case [[Gonzales v. Raich]],<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1454.ZO.html Full text of majority opinion, ''Gonzales v. Raich'']</ref> which said that Congress can "regulate purely local activities that are part of an economic 'class of activities' that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce."  This decision has been criticized by numerous [[conservative]]s and [[libertarian]]s as an unwarranted expansion of Federal power.  Also, [[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]] has directed Federal prosecutors to avoid prosecuting activities legal under such state laws.<ref>"[http://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/medical-marijuana.pdf Memo to Justice Department attorneys]", 19 October 2009</ref>

California currently allows patients to grow marijuana themselves for alleged "medical" purposes, or to organize as "cooperatives."  Until recently, however, anyone could supply anyone with "medical" marijuana as long as the buyer had a doctor's note (which virtually anyone could obtain) and the person designated the supplier as his "primary caregiver".<ref>http://reason.com/archives/2009/10/23/medical-marijuana-muddle</ref>  Many people have used this as an excuse to use marijuana recreationally.  "Medical" marijuana was even available from [[vending machine]]s,<ref>[http://www.planetc1.com/cgi-bin/n/v.cgi?c=1&id=1236007310 Marijuana Medicine Practices Are Hazy and Confusing], Planet Chiropratic dot com</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326634,00.html Medical marijuana vending machines take root in LA] Fox News</ref> similar to automated prescription dispensers at some [[pharmacy|pharmacies]].<ref>[http://www.scriptpro.com/products/spud/main.htm Scriptpro: Robotic Pharmaceutical Dispensing System]</ref>  Both the Drug Enformement Agency and the California Supreme Court say that such practices are illegal.  One attorney has said that he considers all sale of marijuana still illegal.  Additionally, the seriousness of having a marijuana vending machine for supposedly "medical" reasons is off-set by the presence of a [[Bob Marley]] poster in at least one location. Marley was a member of the Rastafari cult, which advocates the recreational use of the drug under the guise of "spiritual" reasons.

California currently allows patients to grow marijuana themselves for alleged "medical" purposes, or to organize as "cooperatives."  Until recently, however, anyone could supply anyone with "medical" marijuana as long as the buyer had a doctor's note (which virtually anyone could obtain) and the person designated the supplier as his "primary caregiver".<ref>http://reason.com/archives/2009/10/23/medical-marijuana-muddle</ref>  Many people have used this as an excuse to use marijuana recreationally.  "Medical" marijuana was even available from [[vending machine]]s,<ref>[http://www.planetc1.com/cgi-bin/n/v.cgi?c=1&id=1236007310 Marijuana Medicine Practices Are Hazy and Confusing], Planet Chiropratic dot com</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326634,00.html Medical marijuana vending machines take root in LA] Fox News</ref> similar to automated prescription dispensers at some [[pharmacy|pharmacies]].<ref>[http://www.scriptpro.com/products/spud/main.htm Scriptpro: Robotic Pharmaceutical Dispensing System]</ref>  Both the Drug Enformement Agency and the California Supreme Court say that such practices are illegal.  One attorney has said that he considers all sale of marijuana still illegal.  Additionally, the seriousness of having a marijuana vending machine for supposedly "medical" reasons is off-set by the presence of a [[Bob Marley]] poster in at least one location. Marley was a member of the Rastafari cult, which advocates the recreational use of the drug under the guise of "spiritual" reasons.