CALIFORNIA MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES SUE FEDS OVER POT CRACKDOWN

An advocacy group for medical marijuana users sued U.S. Justice
Department officials Thursday, charging that the federal government
has violated the Constitution in cracking down on California
marijuana dispensaries.

In seeking an injunction to curb federal raids and enforcement
actions in California, Oakland-based Americans for Safe Access
charged that "the federal government has instituted a policy to
dismantle medical marijuana laws of the State of California."

The lawsuit, naming Attorney General Eric Holder and Melinda Haag,
the U.S. attorney in San Francisco, said federal prosecutors are
coercing "municipalities to pass bans on medical marijuana
dispensaries" and threatening "Draconian penalties" against local officials.

The lawsuit also singled out Sacramento U.S. Attorney Benjamin
Wagner, charging that the top prosecutor for the Eastern District of
California intimidated city officials in Chico with threats of
federal prosecution if they passed an ordinance regulating local
dispensaries. The Chico City Council decided to rescind approval of a
plan to permit local marijuana stores.

The suit charged that the federal actions constituted an "unlawful
assault on state sovereignty" under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.