An End To Prosecuting Medical Marijuana Grows?

There is a funding bill in Congress right now, which, if passed and signed by President Obama will prevent the investigation and prosecution of medical marijuana grows in California.  The bill would prevent the executive branch from spending money to interfere with conduct that is authorized by state law.

Section 538 of HR 83 provides:

None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,  Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,  Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,  Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island,  South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, to prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.

As reported by Berman, California Attorney Ronald Richards filed a motion to postpone sentencing and if the bill becomes law, will move to withdraw his marijuana cultivating client’s guilty plea.  “If this bill is signed by the President … [t]he Department of Justice could not in either the spirit or the letter of the law allocate any further staff, investigation, or budget to continue to prosecute this case.”

http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2014/12/defense-moves-to-postpone-federal-marijuana-sentencing-based-new-law-ordering-doj-not-to-prevent-33-.html