The Crackdown on Medical Marijuana: Prohibition Revisited?

Early in the Obama administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said that even though marijuana use is against federal law, medical marijuana would be no problem in states where it was legalized by the voters. But there was a qualification — as long as growers and others obeyed state law. That seems to be the rationale behind what many perceive as a complete about-face: last week's announcement of a crackdown on medical marijuana in California, where voters approved it in 1996. Now, a federal crackdown on medical marijuana.