Feds back off marijuana busts in some states

The Obama Administration announced Monday it will not prosecute people who use or distribute marijuana for medical use as long as those people are abiding by state law.

Alaska is one of 14 states that allow the possession of small amounts of marijuana. In the past, federal agents could bring those people to court because federal law supersedes state law. The other states that allow limited use of marijuana are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Prosecuting people who have state-approved marijuana apparently won’t go forward under the new administration. Justice Department officials say its not a top priority anymore. Those officials also say, however, they still plan to pursue and prosecute drug dealers and warlords who sell large amounts of dope to finance their criminal enterprises.

California is most often cited as the state where this law will have the biggest impact because it has accepted the use of marijuana as medicine for quite some time and recently even allowed storefronts for that purpose.

Alaska’s no slouch when it comes to growing, using and selling dope, though. In fact, Matanuska Valley was part of a brand name back in the day.

Alaskans shouldn’t consider this a “smoke ‘em if you got ‘em” kind of law. To date, it’s legal to have 1 ounce or less in your home or residence. Having no more than 25 plants in your home is also legal here. After that, the fines and punishment start to add up. Between 1 and 4 ounces can mean 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. More than 4 ounces becomes a felony with up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Selling any amount is illegal.

So people who like to smoke a joint after a long day at work can do so in the privacy of their home and not have to worry about Eliot Ness and his G-men breaking down the door.

Alaska’s somewhat liberal marijuana laws can be attributed in large part to a man named Irwin Ravin, who argued in 1972 that law enforcement officers violated his right to privacy when they arrested him for possession in his home. The state Supreme Court agreed with him.

People’s attitudes toward marijuana have changed since the Devil Weed days. One small town in Colorado is considering growing medical marijuana to keep its bills paid. Given the Obama Administration’s decision Monday, we could be seeing more of that line of thinking.