The U.S. Supreme Court has requested an opinion from the Obama administration on Nebraska and Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Colorado’s cannabis legalization.
“The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States,” read the statement released by SCOTUS on Monday.
This is not an unusual request — and it does not indicate whether or not the court is ready to move forward with the case.
“Because this involves issues that impact how the DOJ does its job, and because the DOJ has been grappling with the tension between state and federal marijuana laws for years, SCOTUS would like the Justice Department’s views on the case,” explained Dan Riffle, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.
The plaintiff states are arguing that since the advent of Colorado’s cannabis industry, there has been a marked increase in drug crimes in their states, which border the land of legal marijuana. They claim that the Colorado government is in violation of federal law by allowing legalization to move forward, and want the feds to reverse Colorado’s voter-approved initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/04/scotus-wants-feds-views-o_n_7205416.html
Photo Credit: docmonstereyes
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