ABOUT TIME FOR FEDERAL ABOUT FACE

We applaud the reversal by the Obama administration, and Attorney
General Eric Holder, in regards to federal policy toward state
medical marijuana laws.

As we've reported, Holder recently announced that the federal
government will only become involved in marijuana cases where the
suspect is in violation of both federal and state laws.

Previously, the feds under former President George W. Bush held that
federal drug laws superseded any state statutes allowing medical
marijuana. Therefore, the federal government would haphazardly
investigate and prosecute cases where the supposed perpetrators were
actually following state laws allowing the use of marijuana as medicine.

This was, we believe, a colossal waste of time and resources.

It's no secret that marijuana is a cash crop in Humboldt County, and
much of that business is illegal, subject to local, state and federal
prohibitions. As long as that remains the case, we encourage
enforcement of the law.

But the people of this state and several others have voted to
consider marijuana a medicine, and to allow doctors to prescribe it
to patients who can be helped by the drug.

Despite the fact that state medical marijuana laws are a work in
progress and have many flaws that still need to be addressed, the
federal government should not stand in the way. Doing so pits one
government against another and makes for spotty and inconsistent enforcement.

Frankly, there's simply no way federal agencies can effectively
enforce marijuana laws nationally without the aid and assistance of
state and local governments.

We applaud Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama
for recognizing this fact and doing away with a failed policy toward
medical marijuana, recognizing that states should be allowed to chart
their own course per the wishes of their residents and voters.