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Back to To the Point

To the Point

The President and Medical Marijuana

Federal law bans all marijuana but, in 16 states and Washington, DC, it's legal as medicine . As a candidate, Barack Obama said he would not "circumvent state law," and his administration discontinued the high-profile raids of the Bush years.

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By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

Federal law bans all marijuana but, in 16 states and Washington, DC, it's legal as medicine. As a candidate, Barack Obama said he would not "circumvent state law," and his administration discontinued the high-profile raids of the Bush years. But now those raids have resumed, and local officials implementing state laws are being threatened with federal prosecution. Has the President broken a campaign promise? Is medical marijuana a front for organized crime? Is it so widely used that the federal ban should go the way of alcohol prohibition?

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

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    Katie Cooper

    Producer, 'One year Later'

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    Karen Radziner

    Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?

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    Frances Anderton

    architecture critic and author

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    Tim Dickinson

    Rolling Stone magazine

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    Benjamin Wagner

    US Attorney's Office

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    Michael Montgomery

    KQED and California Watch

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