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U.S. to Prosecute Marijuana Cases Even With California Measure
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By Justin Blum

Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Justice Department will prosecute possession and
distribution of marijuana in California even if voters approve a ballot measure to
legalize the drug, Attorney General Eric Holder said.

The department „strongly opposes‰ California‚s Proposition 19, Holder said in an Oct.
13 letter to former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The
measure would „complicate‰ U.S. drug enforcement efforts, he said.

The Justice Department will „vigorously enforce‰ federal drug law „against those
individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for
recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law,‰ Holder said in
the letter.

The proposition, a referendum on the Nov. 2 ballot, would make it legal for anyone
age 21 or older to possess one ounce or less of marijuana, and allow local
governments to regulate and tax sales even though it is illegal under U.S. law.

California allowed the use of marijuana for medical reasons under a ballot measure
passed in 1996 and more than a dozen other states have followed suit.

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