Colo. Medical Marijuana Bill Catches Attention Of Feds

Under provisions of Colorado House Bill 1043, medical marijuana could be licensed, grown and distributed legally in the state of Colorado, but the federal law disagrees.

Federal law prohibits the manufacture, distribution or possession with intent to distribute any controlled substance, including marijuana.

“They do not consider state employees who conduct activities under state medical marijuana laws to be immune to liability under federal law,” said Mike Saccone, communications director for the Office of the Attorney General of Colorado.

The enforcement of the federal law would be focused not on the patients, but the growers and distributors.

“Although they made a decision not to prosecute individuals who are seriously ill who are using medical marijuana in line with state law, they still could prosecute individuals who are involved in the distribution or the trafficking of marijuana,” said Saccone.

Local owners of dispensaries said, that in the beginning, the state law sounded good, but now the federal law is worrisome.

“Does it worry us? It’s in the back of everybody’s mind. If I could press rewind in time, I don’t know if I’d be here anymore,” said a local medical marijuana dispensary owner.

Colorado House Bill 1043 is pending in the General Assembly and the provisions of the bill could have major effects on dispensaries.

The Office of the Attorney General of Colorado said that these issues will be brought to the General Assembly in the next few days.