State vs. Federal Law in California Marijuana Case
In California, the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary is facing up to 15 years in prison for cultivating the drug. Matthew R. Davies, 34, was indicted last summer by federal prosecutors in a U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, in a case that pits federal law against state law.
Davies manages an operation he’s outfitted with “accountants, compliance lawyers, managers, a staff of 75 and a payroll firm.” He has no criminal history, says he’s in complete compliance with state law, and has kept meticulous track of all of the operation’s inventories, finances, taxes and medical records.
The case is drawing questions from attorneys concerned that this might set a precedent allowing the federal government to prosecute individuals in states where marijuana has been legalized.
Flickr photo courtesy of it was 3 a.m.
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