Wall Street Journal
October 6, 2010
Even if Californians vote next month to legalize marijuana, possession of the drug will still be a criminal offense under federal law, which trumps state law almost every time under the U.S. Constitution.
But crackdowns on users and small-scale growers could decrease if Californians pass Proposition 19, the ballot measure proposing to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes.
In a statement, a Justice Department spokesman said it was "premature to speculate on what steps we would take" in the event California passes the measure, but that it will continue "to focus its enforcement resources on significant traffickers of illegal drugs, including marijuana, in all states."
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