Court bans DOJ from prosecuting medical marijuana users and growers

‘Supporters of medical marijuana have gained an important victory with a federal appeals court ruling that prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from prosecuting medical marijuana growers and users if no state laws are being breached.
A unanimous decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals prevents the DOJ from using federal funds to prosecute those who grow, sell or purchase marijuana, despite the fact that marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
The decision has effectively upheld a 2014 congressional budget ruling that protects states from the DOJ if they try to prevent them “from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.”‘
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